Now, his attorney say there is new forensic evidence that was withheld from the defense including bloody footprints, unidentified hairs, candle drippings and a bloody syringe. "If it takes me saying that I killed my family to the parole commission to go home, I'm never going home," he said. MacDonald could have been released by the parole commission if he admitted guilt and showed remorse. MacDonald was convicted in 1979 and charged with one count of first-degree murder in the death of Kristen and two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Colette and Kimberly.
Prosecutors argued at trial that he staged the crime scene and injured himself. He was cleared by the Army, but was later indicted by a federal grand jury.
"I did not injure them, I did not assault them, and I did not murder them," he said in the recording. "One guy was swinging a club at me and two other people I thought were punching me, it turns out they were stabbing me," he said in a recorded interview with People.īut the Army decided to investigate him as a potential killer. He has maintained that he awoke on their sofa in their home as they were being attacked by four hippies – three men and a woman, who was wearing a blond wig and floppy hat as she chanted "acid is groovy, kill the pigs." As of 2015, MacDonald is serving his sentence at a federal prison in Maryland.1997, MacDonald’s lawyers were given the right to pursue DNA tests on limited hair and blood evidence. 29, 1979, MacDonald was convicted of the crimes. On May 23, 1975, MacDonald pleaded not guilty to the murders.17, 1970, dispatchers received an emergency phone call from MacDonald, who reported a "stabbing." Officers found Colette, Kimberly and Kristen dead in their respective bedrooms. In September 1969, MacDonald was assigned to the Green Berets.MacDonald joined the Army on July 1, 1969.