TACOMA — A man serving life in prison for the 1996 rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl is seeking to retest DNA evidence that helped convict him.
The News Tribune reported that attorneys for Guy Rasmussen have asked a Pierce County Superior Court judge to allow DNA evidence collected in the case to be retested using modern technology.
Lawyers with The Innocence Project Northwest argue that DNA tests used at the time of his arrest and conviction were rudimentary.
Current Pierce County prosecutors and a former one who prosecuted Rasmussen say they do not oppose retesting and are confident it will confirm his guilt.
Judge Bryan Chushcoff heard preliminary arguments in December.
Cindy Allinger walked from her Lakewood home to visit a friend on July 4, 1996. Her body was discovered in a field nearly two weeks later.
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