Evidence In Daniel Holtzclaw's Case To Be Released To The Public

Five years after an Oklahoma City police officer is first accused of rape, all the evidence attorneys had in the case is being released to the public. 

Daniel Holtzclaw was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

A group still believes Holtzclaw is innocent. His case is still making its way through the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

Read Related Story: Documents Unsealed In Daniel Holtzclaw’s Appeal

Brian Bates was the private investigator for Holtzclaw's defense during his criminal trial.

“When I very first met Daniel and for many, many months into the investigation I told him I though he was guilty,” said Bates.

It wasn't until Bates sifted through all the evidence that he started to believe the OKC police officer didn't do what he was accused of. And that is why now five years to the day after the first victim reported the crime, he is starting to release all the discovery from the case to the public.

In a series of podcasts beginning with the first accuser, Janie Liggins, Bates is releasing information about the investigation and the corresponding evidence on the website http://www.holtzclawtrial.com/.

“All of the 911 calls, all the interviews that were recorded either visually or audio all of that will be released, and the public has never seen these things before even if you attended the trial, much of what I am going to post was never presented the jury,” explained Bates.           

Holtzclaw's criminal appeal was filed in February 2016. Three and a half years later, the Oklahoma Court of Appeals has yet to rule.

Meanwhile, Kathleen Zellner, the high-profile attorney featured in the Netflix Documentary of “Making a Murderer” is now representing Holtzclaw in his civil cases in federal court.

Bates said he is no longer working for Holtzclaw or his family. He's just releasing the information for the court of public opinion.

“If nothing else, the public will realize this is not the case they have been told for five years that it was,” said Bates.

News 9 also reached out to the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, who is handling Holtzclaw's appeal.