The Box
New evidence from a courthouse basement and the push for DNA testing in a decades-old murder
Bear Brook Season 2 revisits the 1988 murder of Sharon Johnson and the conviction of Jason Carroll, tracing how modern advocacy, renewed reporting, and unexpected discoveries reopened a long-dormant investigation. The New England Innocence Project, joined by independent investigators and the podcast Undisclosed, provoked fresh scrutiny that led to the discovery of critical physical evidence stored in a courthouse basement for more than thirty years.
How a true crime podcast unearthed an evidence box and renewed legal momentum
A season of Undisclosed prompted renewed attention and interviews, but its theory pointing to an alternate suspect raised tensions with defense counsel wary of hunch-based narratives. Regardless, that public interest helped reveal a large box of exhibits—photographs, clothing, cigarette butts, a pocket knife, and, most consequentially, Sharon's fingernail clippings—material that had never undergone modern DNA testing.
Why fingernail clippings and preserved specimens matter for cold case DNA testing
Forensic advances make preserved biological material one of the most powerful routes to confirming or overturning convictions. The nail clippings could contain the attacker’s DNA or eliminate a convicted individual from the physical evidence, potentially changing the legal narrative. The New England Innocence Project moved quickly to seek court-ordered testing.
Legal resistance: the state’s argument against DNA testing and the role of prosecutors
State prosecutors objected to DNA testing, arguing there is no scenario in which new testing would prove innocence. That stance illustrates how prosecutorial interpretations and institutional finality can block scientific review. A judge must now weigh whether testing should proceed, and even if ordered, disputes over items and laboratories could prolong the process.
Broader lessons about confession science, interrogation practices, and institutional gaps
The episode also situates this case in a broader landscape: research on false confessions, inconsistent recording of interrogations, and the absence of a conviction integrity unit in New Hampshire. Together these systemic factors explain why some cases remain unresolved and why outside pressure from journalists, attorneys, and podcasters can alter the course of justice.
What to watch next: whether the judge allows DNA testing of the nail clippings and other exhibits, and how those results affect the contested stories of guilt and innocence in this case.
Points of Interest
- A chance courthouse conversation led to discovering an evidence box sitting untouched for decades.
- Fingernail clippings, long preserved, may contain the decisive DNA to confirm or exclude a suspect.
- Prosecutors argued that no DNA outcome could ever exonerate the convicted man, revealing institutional certainty.
- True crime podcasts can both reopen wounds and uncover previously hidden leads or documents.
- Defense counsel warned that replacing one hunch with another risks repeating investigative errors.
- New Hampshire has no conviction integrity unit, unlike many other states revisiting old convictions.
FAQ
What key evidence was found in the courthouse evidence box?
Investigators found clothing, photographs, a pocket knife, cigarette butts, fingerprint cards, and Sharon Johnson's fingernail clippings.
Why are the fingernail clippings important to this case?
The fingernail clippings may contain DNA from Sharon Johnson's attacker, potentially excluding or identifying a suspect decades later.
Who is pushing for new DNA testing in the Jason Carroll case?
The New England Innocence Project and defense attorney Cynthia Musso filed motions seeking DNA testing of multiple untested items.
Why did prosecutors object to ordering DNA testing?
Prosecutors argued there is no possible scenario in which new DNA testing would exonerate the convicted man, opposing testing on that basis.
How did the Undisclosed podcast influence the investigation?
The Undisclosed season renewed public attention, prompted new interviews, and indirectly led to locating the long-forgotten evidence box.
