On December 1, 1978, 20-year-old Dianna Green, a white female from Costa Mesa, California, was brutally attacked in her home. At the time, she was nine months pregnant. The assailant entered her residence, struck her on the head with a blunt object, raped her, and left her for dead. Dianna survived the assault but suffered severe brain damage and memory loss. Tragically, her unborn child, Chantal Green, did not survive the attack.
In the aftermath, Dianna's husband, Kevin Green, a 21-year-old Marine, was arrested and charged with the attack. The prosecution's case relied heavily on Dianna's testimony, despite her memory impairments. In 1980, Kevin was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of their unborn child, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Kevin maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration.
In the mid-1990s, advancements in DNA testing led to a breakthrough. DNA evidence from the crime scene matched Gerald Parker, a serial killer known as the "Bedroom Basher," who had committed a series of rapes and murders in Orange County during the late 1970s. Parker confessed to the attack on Dianna Green, leading to Kevin Green's exoneration in 1996 after serving 16 years in prison.
Gerald Parker was subsequently convicted of multiple counts of murder and rape, including the attack on Dianna Green. He was sentenced to death in 1999 and remains on death row. The case highlighted the dangers of relying solely on eyewitness testimony, especially when the witness has suffered significant trauma, and underscored the importance of DNA evidence in the criminal justice system.
