Cops hid evidence and coerced witnesses to wrongfully convict man of murder, suit says
On May 4, 2001, a man got out of a black pickup truck and shot and killed Jerry Saunders during a drug deal in Cleveland. The man got back into the truck with two others and sped off.
Of the three men in the truck, Michael Buehner was not one of them, according to an Ohio lawsuit filed on July 17. However, it was Buehner who spent over 20 years in prison for Saunders’ death.
As a result, Buehner never got to see his 4-year-old and 1-year-old sons grow up during the years he spent behind bars, according to the lawsuit, which “destroyed his life.” The 47-year-old is now suing the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County for wrongful conviction.
“They robbed him of his freedom to move outside of confinement and see the sunshine in the morning,” the lawsuit said. ”They ruined his relationships with his friends and family and his aspiration to build his family. He missed holidays, births, weddings, and funerals with his loved ones including his mother.”
“Our office is aware that a lawsuit has been filed and after we review it, we will respond accordingly. We decline to comment further,” a spokesperson for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office said in an email to McClatchy News.
The city of Cleveland told McClatchy News in an email that the city is reviewing the lawsuit but did not comment further.
As Cleveland police investigated the killing, they interviewed ”just three potential witnesses” in the neighborhood, despite more people offering to provide statements, according to the complaint.
As police collected evidence such as photos, bullet casings, the victim’s body and clothes and a jacket dropped by the victim’s friend, Buehner’s name or evidence connecting him to the killing was never mentioned.
The victim’s friend, Lawone Edwards, was later arrested by the FBI on drug charges, according to court documents. Investigators interviewed him about Saunders’ death, and he said the shooter was a white man with face tattoos, according to the lawsuit.
At the time, 23-year-old Buehner had no face tattoos.
Two other potential suspects were also brought up during the investigation, according to court documents, but police never investigated them despite their criminal histories. These potential suspects’ identities stemmed from information from the victim’s sister and the black pickup’s registration.
On July 19, nearly two months after Saunders’ killing, police heard Buehner’s name in connection to the crime, according to the lawsuit.
“The only source suddenly alleging Michael’s involvement was a confidential informant, whose identity [officials] are still concealing,” the lawsuit said. “The informant suggested Michael’s name … There was no independent basis to suspect Michael’s involvement in the shooting.”
Buehner was eventually charged with capital murder without probable cause, the lawsuit said. “There was no murder weapon, nor fingerprints nor DNA, nor ultimately any black truck, tying Michael to the shooting,” according to the complaint.
Police pursued Buehner as a suspect, despite having evidence connecting him to the crime, according to the lawsuit. Six months into the investigation, they brought in Edwards and Randy Price, mentioned as Buehner’s “alleged cousin” in court documents, and coerced them into identifying Buehner as the shooter and providing incriminating statements.
As the case went to trial, investigators withheld witness statements that would have suggested Buehner was not the shooter, the complaint said.
The trial went on, and prosecutors eventually became aware of some of the investigators’ suppressed evidence and coerced witness statements, but they continued to prosecute Buehner anyway, according to the lawsuit.
Buehner was convicted by a jury and sentenced to 18 years to life in prison.
This evidence was continually suppressed during Buehner’s imprisonment and eventual retrial, the lawsuit said.
While behind bars for over 20 years, Buehner fought to prove his innocence. He obtained the files revealing the withheld information during his original prosecution and both witnesses “recanted” their testimony in sworn affidavits, according to the lawsuit.
During the retrial, Buehner had the opportunity to present these facts, and he was acquitted by a jury in under two hours, according to the lawsuit.
Though he was exonerated, he now “must attempt to make a life for himself without the benefit of decades of experiences, education, work and relationships and instead on a foundation of abuse and trauma,” according to the lawsuit. His imprisonment caused him “extreme physical and psychological pain and suffering,” the complaint said.
Buehner is seeking a jury trial to be awarded damages.
This story was originally published July 22, 2024 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Cops hid evidence and coerced witnesses to wrongfully convict man of murder, suit says."
