HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Lawyers for the Schweitzer brothers, Albert Ian and Shawn, accuse Big Island Police of "missing the obvious killer" in the Dana Ireland murder case. They are hoping a judge will grant them access to evidence which they say will clear their clients in the murder.
Lawyers for the Innocence Project argue the recent DNA evidence proves Albert Ian and Shawn Schweitzer are innocent of the murder of Dana Ireland.
DNA experts passed along their findings to Big Island Police, who suspect Albert Lauro Jr. was the "Unknown Man #1" connected to the crime.
"DNA evidence shows that indisputably," said Barry Scheck, Innocence Project New York. "Then he left the scene, leaving her to bleed out and die. Now, if that's not probable cause for homicide, I don't know what is."
In a Hilo courtroom, the Innocence Project is arguing for the court to force Hawaii police to hand over all evidence regarding Lauro. That evidence, they believe, would once and for all clear their clients.
"It was our fear that if they did not bring Mr. Lauro into custody, that he would flee, destroy evidence, or kill himself," said Scheck.
"I guess talking about the communications that Mr. Sheck had mentioned, I think maybe Mr. Harrison mentioned as well, I don't see how any communication would be relevant to any determination of actual innocence," said Shannon Kagawa, Hawaii county Deputy Prosecutor.
Schweitzer's lawyers accuse Big Island Police of falling to public pressure of a conviction.
"The slime provided by more criminals with their hands asking for deals, the police and prosecutors kept pounding until they forced a square peg into a round hole," said Keith Shigetomi, attorney for Shawn Schweitzer. "And what do you know, it worked. A community desperate for conviction blindly bought the swiss cheese."
"There's a difference between not guilty versus actual innocent," said Kagawa. "And I think that's clear. If not, the 661b would have said anybody finding someone not guilty, and that would open up basically a can of worms."
If a court rules Albert Ian Schweitzer is innocent, his lawyers say he could be eligible for a financial reward of more than $1.1 million for the wrongful conviction.
The hearing continues on Thursday.