Convicted Killer Of San Bernardino Family Wants New DNA Test

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A death row inmate who claims he was framed for the murder of four people in San Bernardino County wants new DNA tests on evidence that helped convict him.

A San Diego County judge will consider the request next Wednesday.

Kevin Cooper was convicted of killing Douglas and Peggy Ryen, their 10-year-old daughter and a neighbor in a Chino Hills home in 1983. They were attacked with a hatchet and knife. The Ryens' 8-year-old son survived a slashed throat.

Cooper, who escaped from a nearby prison days earlier, acknowledged hiding in a house next door but denies killing them. He claims police took his blood and planted it on a T-shirt and in the home.

Previous DNA tests failed to clear Cooper and prosecutor John Kochis says state and federal appeals courts discounted claims of evidence tampering. Cooper's attorney says a new, more sensitive DNA test could help prove his client's innocence.

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