Kenneth P. Phoenix v. James Matesanz

TORRUELLA, Chief Judge.

According to the prosecution, Kenneth Phoenix “almost committed the perfect crime ... except for one mistake.” Based on that mistake — a blood-soaked fingerprint left near the scene — Phoenix was convicted of the first degree murder of Raymond Green. Although Phoenix’s de fense counsel cross-examined the forensic serologist and fingerprint experts presented by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, he did not call defense experts to further contradict their testimony. Phoenix now claims that his attorney’s decision not to call such experts denied him his constitutional…