Lynn Dejac was a woman from Buffalo, New York, whose life was turned upside down in the early 1990s after she was wrongfully convicted of murdering her own daughter.
The Argument Before the Tragedy — February 13, 1993
On the night of February 13, 1993, Lynn got into a heated argument with her boyfriend, Dennis Donohue, at a local bar.
She had just discovered that Donohue had secretly hired a private investigator to follow her and spy on her daily activities.
The argument ended badly, and the two went their separate ways.
The Discovery — February 14, 1993
The next day, Lynn returned to her home.
To her horror, she found her 13-year-old daughter, Crystallynn Girard, lying dead.
Crystallynn had been strangled, and later autopsy results showed that she had small traces of cocaine in her system.
Lynn immediately called for help, but things quickly turned against her.
The Case Against Lynn
Despite having no physical evidence linking Lynn to the murder, the police arrested her.
The prosecution built their case on two unreliable witnesses:
1. Dennis Donohue
- The same boyfriend she had argued with the night before
- He claimed Lynn was responsible
- He testified only because he was given immunity, meaning he could not be charged no matter what
2. Wayne Hudson
- A man with a criminal background
- He said Lynn confessed to him while in custody
- No hard proof supported his claim
Even though investigators found no fingerprints, DNA, or any physical trace connecting Lynn to the crime, the jury believed the testimony.
Conviction
In 1993, Lynn was convicted of second-degree murder and received a 25-year prison sentence, making her one of the few women at the time to be given such a long term for killing her own child.
Lynn insisted she was innocent from the very beginning.
Thirteen Years Later — New Investigation
Around 2006, detectives reopened Crystallynn’s case while reviewing similar unsolved murders in the Buffalo area.
They made disturbing discoveries:
A Pattern of Killings
Investigators found that:
- Four women had been murdered in a similar way
- All four had been strangled
- Their bodies were found in almost identical conditions
- Each of these women had been in contact with Dennis Donohue
These similarities raised new suspicions. Detectives began to question Donohue’s involvement in Crystallynn’s death as well.
DNA Changes Everything
Modern DNA testing — which had not been available in 1993 — was performed on evidence from the crime scene.
The results were shocking:
- Donohue’s DNA was found at the crime scene
- No DNA matched Lynn
This new evidence proved Lynn had been wrongfully convicted, while Donohue, the man who testified against her, likely played a role in the murder.
Lynn Dejac Becomes a Historic Case
In 2007, Lynn’s conviction was officially overturned.
She became:
✨ The first woman in U.S. history to be exonerated of murder based solely on DNA evidence.
After spending more than 13 years in prison, Lynn finally regained her freedom and was able to clear her name.
Aftermath
Although Lynn was freed, the emotional and personal damage was heavy:
- She spent her daughter’s teenage years and young adulthood behind bars
- Her reputation was destroyed
- The real killer was free during the time she was imprisoned
Lynn later filed lawsuits against several agencies for wrongful conviction and improper investigation.
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