The Case of Robert Dubois as Told by Andrew Warren
On Friday, September 6, 2024, former Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren gave a compelling speech at Café Con Tampa, recounting the case of Robert DuBoise, a man wrongfully convicted of murder. Warren’s speech highlighted the importance of justice, the flaws in the criminal justice system, and how his office worked tirelessly to correct an egregious mistake. Robert DuBoise himself was present at the event, sharing his story and offering insight into the emotional and psychological toll of spending nearly four decades in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
The case began in August 1983 when Barbara Grams, a 19-year-old woman, was found murdered in Tampa. At the time, the police, under pressure to solve the case, focused their attention on Robert DuBoise, who was just 18 years old. The conviction relied on two key pieces of evidence: bite mark analysis and the testimony of a jailhouse informant. The bite mark analysis, which tied DuBoise to the crime, was based on flawed forensic science, a fact that would not come to light until years later. Jailhouse informants, who are often incentivized to provide testimony in exchange for leniency in their own cases, have long been criticized for their unreliability. In DuBoise’s case, both pieces of evidence were instrumental in securing his wrongful conviction.
DuBoise was sentenced to death and spent three years on death row before his sentence was commuted to life in prison. He spent the next 34 years fighting to prove his innocence. Throughout this time, he maintained his claim of innocence, filing numerous motions to have the DNA evidence in his case tested. Unfortunately, in the mid-2000s, DuBoise was told that the biological evidence collected at the crime scene had been destroyed, leaving him with no clear path to exoneration.
The turning point came in 2016 when Andrew Warren was elected as State Attorney for Hillsborough County. Warren ran on a criminal justice reform platform, focusing on public safety, justice for victims, and ensuring that the system was fair and effective. Warren established a Conviction Integrity Unit in 2018 as part of his efforts. This unit was tasked with reviewing cases where there were credible claims of wrongful conviction, ensuring that justice was truly served. It was the first unit of its kind in Florida, and although Jacksonville had established a similar unit shortly before Warren’s, the initiative was groundbreaking for the state.
The Innocence Project, which had been working on DuBoise’s case for years, brought it to the attention of Warren’s office in 2019. The Conviction Integrity Unit, led by Teresa Hall, took a fresh look at the case. An experienced prosecutor and magistrate judge, Hall meticulously reviewed all the available evidence. She quickly identified major issues with the original conviction, particularly the use of bite mark analysis, which the scientific community had discredited. Bite mark evidence, once considered reliable, had fallen out of favor because of its high error rate and lack of scientific rigor. As Hall explained, there is no legitimate forensic basis for tying a bite mark to a specific set of teeth and using it as the sole piece of physical evidence was a grave mistake.
However, the most significant development in the case came when Hall, working with the Tampa Police Department, discovered that a DNA sample from the medical examiner’s office had not been destroyed, as previously thought. This sample was collected at the time of the crime but never tested because DNA testing was not available in 1983. Hall had the sample tested, and the results were conclusive: Robert DuBoise’s DNA did not match the DNA from the crime scene.
The DNA results were revealed in August 2020, and DuBoise was finally exonerated. On August 27, 2020, after 37 years in prison, DuBoise walked free. Two weeks later, on September 14, 2020, he was officially cleared of all charges, and the State Attorney’s office formally dismissed the case. His exoneration was a momentous victory, not only for DuBoise but also for Warren’s office and the Conviction Integrity Unit.
However, the story did not end with DuBoise’s release. Warren’s team continued to investigate the case and, using the DNA evidence, identified the true perpetrators of the crime. These men were charged with not only the murder of Barbara Grams but also the rape and murder of another woman during the same period. Their arrests and eventual convictions provided some measure of justice for the victims and their families, although it came decades later.
DuBois emphasized how his faith in God helped him survive nearly four decades behind bars without succumbing to bitterness or hatred.
During the Café Con Tampa event, DuBois spoke about his experience with humility and grace. He emphasized how his faith in God helped him survive nearly four decades behind bars without succumbing to bitterness or hatred. DuBoise described the shock of returning to a world that had changed dramatically since his incarceration. He recounted simple yet profound moments, like his first visit to a store and the confusion he felt trying to navigate new technologies such as smartphones and self-checkout systems.
When asked about the impact of wrongful convictions on the broader justice system, Warren stressed that DuBoise’s case was not an isolated incident. His office had reviewed hundreds of petitions for wrongful convictions during his tenure, uncovering other instances where individuals were wrongfully imprisoned. While most cases were handled correctly, the few that were not had devastating consequences. Warren underscored that wrongful convictions are a public safety issue. Not only do they destroy the lives of the wrongfully accused, but they also allow the real criminals to remain at large, posing a continued threat to the community.
Warren’s closing remarks at Café Con Tampa underscored the importance of ensuring the justice system remains fair and accountable. His office’s work on the DuBoise case is a model for other jurisdictions seeking to establish conviction integrity units. As Warren explained, pursuing justice is not about ego or protecting past decisions—it is about truth, fairness, and ensuring that the right people are held accountable for their crimes.
For Robert DuBoise, the fight for justice was long and arduous, but his story is a testament to the power of persistence, faith, and the unwavering pursuit of the truth. His exoneration reminds us that even in the face of overwhelming odds, justice can prevail.
