Jury hands down mixed verdict in perjury case of 3 former homicide detectives

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Jurors handed over a mixed verdict in the perjury case of three former Philadelphia homicide detectives.

In court, prosecutors alleged the former detectives fabricated a murder confession, planted evidence then lied about it under oath in the 2016 re-trial of Anthony Wright.

The jury Thursday sided with the defense on those claims, exonerating all three of the perjury charges related to the accusations of a coerced confession and planting of evidence.

Former homicide detective Martin Devlin was cleared of all charges brought against him.

Devlin's defense attorney, Brian McMonagle, spoke after the verdict was read, saying this about his client: "He spent 45 years trying to right terrible wrongs and was innocent of these charges."

The two other defendants, former homicide detectives Manuel Santiago and Frank Jastrzembski, were found guilty of charges stemming from their knowledge of DNA evidence.

Jurors convicted Manuel Santiago of a different perjury charge for his testimony about knowledge of DNA evidence and a charge of false swearing.

Frank Jastrzembski was cleared of perjury charges related to a search warrant but was found guilty of false swearing for his testimony about DNA evidence.

Jastrzembski's defense attorney, Fortunato Perri Jr., spoke following the verdict, saying, "With respect to the perjury having to do with the DNA, it's clear from the testimony for both men, Jastrzembski and Santiago, that they were confused as to what their DNA meant at the time."

Wright was convicted in the rape and murder of 77-year-old Louise Talley in Nicetown in 1991.

Wright's 1993 conviction was overturned when DNA implicated another man, who later died. Wright was tried again but acquitted in 2016.

On Thursday afternoon, DA Larry Krasner was asked for his thoughts on the jury's rejection of the prosecutor's assertions that detectives framed Wright and coerced a conviction.

"What I can say is we have one detective convicted of perjury and false swearing-- serious offenses-- and a second detective convicted of false swearing, and I'll leave it at that," he said.