LOCKWOOD, N.Y. -- After two overturned murder convictions, a third trial ended with a hung jury, leaving one family seeking answers and a defense team still trying to clear its client, Cal Harris.
Now, defense attorney Bruce Barket is pointing to what he calls new evidence in the case. During last year's trial, Barket asked to introduce evidence that would point to another suspect in the case, but was denied.
Now he claims there's more information after a January investigation at the home of Stacey Stewart. He's one of two men the defense claims was last seen with Michelle Harris when she went missing in September 2001.
Barket claims a forensic team found items in a burn pit on his property, including a knife blade, a piece of a bra strap, and charred bloody fabric similar to what Michelle was last seen wearing nearly 15 years ago.
"People don't ordinarily burn clothing unless they’re trying to conceal something," Barket said, "and blood, I guess, would be as good a thing to conceal as anything. That's why we believe this is helpful to solving the case and helpful to Cal in establishing that other people committed the crime, not Cal."
But defense attorneys say prosecutors have yet to consider anyone but Harris himself as a suspect in the case.
"We think it's very powerful evidence of exactly what took place," Barket said, "and frankly, we think that the state police and the district attorney's office ought to take a pause and take a real long, hard look at these individuals."
It will be up to the state Supreme Court judge to decide whether or not this evidence can be used in the fourth trial. Several calls were made to the Tioga County District Attorney's office for comment, but none of them were returned.
Jury selection is set to begin next week.