Day after exoneration, attorneys move to clear other men convicted in Dana Ireland case

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - One day after Albert Ian Schweitzer was exonerated for the rape and murder of Dana Ireland, the focus has turned to the others convicted in the case ― his brother Shawn and Frank Pauline, Jr., who died in prison in 2015.

Judge Peter Kubota vacated Albert Ian Schweitzer’s conviction Tuesday after nearly seven hours of testimony from witnesses, including a DNA expert. Nancy Dinh, a forensic scientist from California’s Forensic Analytical Crime Lab, said improved technology allowed them to test more samples from the evidence collected at the crime scene in 1991 and Ireland’s body.

Dinh said the results excluded the Schweitzer brothers and Pauline.

All the results came back to one person ― an unidentified male.

“The evidence is incredibly compelling,” said attorney Susan Freidman, of The Innocence Project. “They are all innocent.”

Schweitzer spent 23 years in prison for the crime that he’s now been cleared of.

His case was the priority for the Innocence Project because he was the only one still locked up.

After 23 years in prison, man convicted in Dana Ireland’s murder is exonerated and set free

Shawn Schweitzer spent nearly two years behind bars before taking a plea deal. But his attorney, Alex Simpson of The Innocence Project, is now working to get his conviction vacated, too.

“Looking at Shawn’s case, he’s just as innocent as Ian,” Simpson said.

Linda Schweitzer, their mother, said she had hoped for years this day would come.

“I’ll say it again, my son is innocent, both of my sons are innocent,” she said.

Myles Breiner, the attorney for Pauline’s family, expects to file a motion to vacate his conviction posthumously.

Breiner said it is important for the survivors, particularly Pauline’s two grown sons.

“I don’t want to identify them,” Breiner said, adding they changed their last name to avoid being harassed because their father was connected to the case.

The motion to vacate the remaining two convictions will include testimony from Schweitzer’s hearing, including the DNA expert, tire tread expert and a forensic dentist. Breiner hopes to file next month.

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