A Hawaii man convicted of a 1991 murder, abduction and rape of a Virginia tourist and sentenced to 130 years in prison in 2000 was released from an Arizona prison Tuesday. New examinations of tire tracks and DNA evidence cleared the man’s name.
Albert “Ian” Schweitzer spent more than 20 years in prison, one of three men originally convicted of murdering Dana Ireland on Hawaii Island on Christmas Eve 1991. The other two were Mr. Schweitzer’s brother Shawn Schweitzer and Frank Pauline Jr.
“The state built its case on false informant testimony and misapplied forensic evidence. We are grateful to the Hawaii County Prosecuting Attorney for their collaboration during this re-investigation.