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DFS completes 68% of Mary Jane Burton file reviews; Crime Commission panel to examine ~300 convictions
Summary
The Department of Forensic Science (DFS) reported it has reviewed 68% of cases handled by former examiner Mary Jane Burton and identified more named suspects and convictions; the Virginia Crime Commission will convene a review panel for an estimated 300 cases tied to convictions or testimony.
The Department of Forensic Science said Tuesday that staff have reviewed 68% of the cases worked by former examiners Mary Jane Burton and colleagues and have identified thousands of named suspects and hundreds of confirmed convictions.
The update, given to the Scientific Advisory Committee by Dr. Christina Barnes Arrington, said DFS staff have identified more than 7,500 unique cases where Burton was the forensic examiner and have reviewed more than 5,100 of those files. During the review, staff found 4,739 named-suspect entries across cases and have confirmed 1,172 convictions so far. The DFS review also found 185 instances in which Burton’s records indicate she testified in court.
Dr. Arrington said that of the 1,172 convicted entries (counting unique individuals for this subset), DFS has confirmed about half the post-conviction statuses: 106 unique individuals are currently incarcerated, 54 are under Department of Corrections supervision, 406 are deceased, 8 were executed and 11 were exonerated. About 2,600 named suspects still require conviction-status verification, the DFS presentation said.
The panel described the logistics of remaining work: about 2,400 case files remain to be retrieved from the State Library of Virginia for review and archival scanning. Amy Jenkins, who is coordinating notifications, told the committee the DFS has mailed 448 notices so far to convicted individuals notifying them of the review and is attempting to locate additional individuals; some cannot be found because of missing personally identifying information.
The General Assembly directed the Crime Commission in 2025 to form a panel to review an estimated 300 cases: those where Burton was the examiner and the defendant was convicted and is incarcerated, exonerated or executed, or any case in which Burton testified. Delegate Herring has appointed a subcommittee to assist with that process, Dr. Arrington said. The Crime Commission’s next meetings are scheduled for November and December and may include updates on the panel’s work.
DFS staff said they are scanning files for incarcerated individuals so the Crime Commission can distribute them to a coalition of volunteer attorneys selected to review cases. Amy Jenkins said the agency recently hired a senior legal assistant, Heather Ford, to support locating individuals and managing correspondence.
The committee did not take any formal vote on the Mary Jane Burton update during the meeting. DFS staff said they anticipate completing notification mailings and additional reviews before the committee’s next scheduled meeting in April.
