hen fourteen-year-old Nary Na was murdered in Dallas in 1994, police quickly focused their attention on her boyfriend, Entre Karage, despite strong evidence indicating an alternate suspect.
At trial, a forensic expert testified that a hair sample recovered from the victim’s body had characteristics consistent with an African-American, and two other hairs had Caucasian characteristics. Karage is Cambodian. In addition, the expert testified that Karage’s DNA did not match DNA samples taken from the victim.
Prosecutors argued jealousy as a motive based on evidence that sexual intercourse had taken place and there was no evidence of a rape. The state presented numerous witnesses, all of whom provided remarkably different accounts of activities on the night of the murder. However, they did present consistent testimony concerning the contentious relationship between Karage and the victim.
Entre Karage spent seven years in prison because DNA evidence pointing to the true perpetrator was discounted.
Karage was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Post-conviction DNA testing revealed that sperm found in the victim actually belonged to Keith Jordan, who was already in prison for a similar offense. Jordan was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and aggravated kidnapping in Dallas in 1997. He has since been charged with the murder of Nary Na. Karage was officially exonerated in December 2005 when Governor Rick Perry pardoned him.
Because prosecutors neglected to pursue evidence pointing to the true perpetrator, Entre Karage spent seven years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
