Woman in Prison for Attempted Murder to Be Released with Overturned Conviction

A mistake with DNA testing in Genesee County means a woman convicted for trying to kill another person is going free.

On September 13, 2021, a shooting occurred in Flint Near Davison Road. Video surveillance of the incident shows a person with a bicycle wearing a black hoodie and smoking a cigarette before shooting a victim. DNA evidence from a discarded cigarette at the scene led police to arrest Crystal Mulherin, who was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to 15 – 30 years in prison. The victim survived the assault. However, the Genesee County Prosecutor’s office has completed a review of the case and determined the DNA collected was from the wrong cigarette, and DNA from the bicycle was never tested at all.

Prosecutor David Leyton has recommended vacating Mulherin’s sentence. All charges in the assault have been dismissed. Leyton says a man charged with other crimes is now the main suspect in that case.