The State of Alaska has ordered a review of the Fairbanks Four case. The Department of Law announced the move on Thursday, saying new information in the 1997 murder of John Hartman led to the decision.
Last week the Alaska Innocence Project filed requests for post conviction relief for Kevin Pease, Marvin Roberts, Eugene Vent and George Frese, the Fairbanks men convicted of, and now serving long prison terms for the attack on Hartman.
The applications include a letter from a former Fairbanks resident serving life in prison for other murders, who claims a different group of men carried out the attack.
The State announcement says there has been no credible allegation about the integrity of the original investigation. It says the Alaska law enforcement agencies, including State Troopers and Fairbanks Police are in support of the review.
The state is requesting additional time beyond the 45 days it has under law, to conduct the review and respond to the requests for post conviction relief.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
