Polygraph exam is postponed in 22-year-old case
Dublin Core
Title
Polygraph exam is postponed in 22-year-old case
Subject
Spaziano, Joe
Mello, Michael
Description
The polygraph examination of Tony Dilisio, the key witness in both the rape and the murder trials of Joe Spaziano, is postponed. The rape victim's mother believes that Spaziano is guilty. Michael Mello, Spaziano's former lawyer, has returned to the case because he believes in Spaziano's innocence.
Creator
Rozsa, Lori
Source
The Herald
Publisher
HIST 298, University of Mary Washington
Date
1995-06-17
Rights
The materials in this online collection are held by Special Collections, Simpson Library, University of Mary Washington and are available for educational use. For this purpose only, you may reproduce materials without prior permission on the condition that you provide attribution of the source.
Format
1 JPG
300 DPI
Language
English
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
State investigators on Friday postponed a polygraph examination of the key witness in a 22-year-old murder case so they could more carefully review the case file.
Next week, a lie-detection expert with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will examine Tony Dilisio, whose testimony led to the conviction of "Crazy Joe" Spaziano for the 1973 milder of Laura Lynn Harberts. Spaziano was scheduled to be executed June 27, but Gov. Lawton Chiles issued an indefinite stay this week after Dilisio recanted, saying his statements implication Spaziano two decades ago were not true.
Also on Friday, Vermont La professor Michael Mello took over Spaziano's case. Mello represented Spaziano fir 11 years during a series of appeals, but quit in January for health reasons, Several newspapers two weeks ago ran Mello's impassioned plea on behalf of Spaziano.
"The reason I'm getting back into it is the same reason I stayed in as long as I had," Mello said. "I'm absolutely convinced of Joe's innocence."
Others were outraged about the stay. Spaziano was serving a life sentence for rape when he was convicted of the murder. Dilisio also testified in the rape trial.
But the rape victim's mother said she has no doubts that Dilisio was telling the truth back then, and that Spaziano is dangerous man.
"My daughter thought she wouldn't live," said the women who asked not to be identified, "He's then who stabbed her, who did the worst of it."
The rape victim at the time could original identify Spaziano in lineup, and she said her main assailant had long red hair, though Spaziano's is black.
"That man should be executed," the victim's mother said.
Dilisio, the common denominator in both cases, said he's looking forward to the polygraph examination.
Mello wonders if he's a good candidate for a polygraph because of his memory lapses and the hypnosis he underwent as a teenager.
"It won't be hard for me; I'll just be telling the truth," Dilisio said. "It's easy when you tell the truth. It's as simple as that."
Next week, a lie-detection expert with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will examine Tony Dilisio, whose testimony led to the conviction of "Crazy Joe" Spaziano for the 1973 milder of Laura Lynn Harberts. Spaziano was scheduled to be executed June 27, but Gov. Lawton Chiles issued an indefinite stay this week after Dilisio recanted, saying his statements implication Spaziano two decades ago were not true.
Also on Friday, Vermont La professor Michael Mello took over Spaziano's case. Mello represented Spaziano fir 11 years during a series of appeals, but quit in January for health reasons, Several newspapers two weeks ago ran Mello's impassioned plea on behalf of Spaziano.
"The reason I'm getting back into it is the same reason I stayed in as long as I had," Mello said. "I'm absolutely convinced of Joe's innocence."
Others were outraged about the stay. Spaziano was serving a life sentence for rape when he was convicted of the murder. Dilisio also testified in the rape trial.
But the rape victim's mother said she has no doubts that Dilisio was telling the truth back then, and that Spaziano is dangerous man.
"My daughter thought she wouldn't live," said the women who asked not to be identified, "He's then who stabbed her, who did the worst of it."
The rape victim at the time could original identify Spaziano in lineup, and she said her main assailant had long red hair, though Spaziano's is black.
"That man should be executed," the victim's mother said.
Dilisio, the common denominator in both cases, said he's looking forward to the polygraph examination.
Mello wonders if he's a good candidate for a polygraph because of his memory lapses and the hypnosis he underwent as a teenager.
"It won't be hard for me; I'll just be telling the truth," Dilisio said. "It's easy when you tell the truth. It's as simple as that."
Contributor of the Digital Item
Williams, Megan
Files
Citation
Rozsa, Lori , “Polygraph exam is postponed in 22-year-old case,” HIST299, accessed March 12, 2026, https://hist299.umwhistory.org/items/show/163.