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Former Philly detective found guilty for role in wrongful murder conviction
James Pitts, a former Philadelphia homicide detective, has been found guilty of physically abusing a murder suspect to get a false confession and then lying about it under oath, according to the DA.
PHILADELPHIA - A former Philadelphia homicide detective has been found guilty of physically abusing a murder suspect to get a false confession and then lying about it under oath, the DA says.
District Attorney Larry Krasner announced on Tuesday that a Philadelphia jury has convicted ex-Philadelphia Police Homicide Detective James Pitts of abusing his authority.
The jury found Pitts guilty of using abusive and illegal tactics to get a false confession out of then-suspect Obina Onyiah back in 2010, resulting in Onyiah providing a false confession to the robbery-murder of William Glatz at the Glatz Jewelry Store in Lawncrest.
In 2013, Pitts testified separately at a pretrial motion and jury trial in which he falsely denied assaulting Onyiah.
On Tuesday, the jury found Pitts guilty of two counts each of obstruction and perjury for lying at those proceedings.
"I thank the jury for rendering a fair and just verdict in this case," said DA Krasner. "This is the first time in our city’s history that a Philadelphia detective has been found guilty of coercing a confession that led to the wrongful conviction of an innocent person. My administration will continue to seek evenhanded justice in all cases prosecuted by this office, regardless of the defendant, because no one is above the law."
In 2021, Onyiah’s conviction was overturned and charges were dismissed after serving 11 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.
Former Philadelphia detective charged with perjury in coerced confession
Pitts has been accused of aggressive physical interrogation tactics and coercing false confessions in numerous lawsuits and complaints, and in a handful of murder cases that collapsed at trial or shortly after.
Pitts is scheduled for sentencing on October 4, 2024, in the Court of Common Pleas.