Thad was in jail charged with the armed robbery of a bank. Witnesses told the police he used a sawed-off shotgun and ordered bank customers to lie down on the floor.

He went to each teller window collecting money which he shoved into a canvas bag. As he ran out of the bank a pack of "bait money" exploded, staining the robber’s right hand with red dye.

Police arrived moments later. They sealed off the area but to no avail. A police sketch artist made drawings based on descriptions given by tellers.

It was a Crime Stoppers tip several days later that led to an arrest. The anonymous caller gave the name and address of a man with a red stained right hand - just like the bank robber’s.

Cops, armed with a search warrant, stormed the suspect’s apartment but the only evidence they found was a red stain on Thad’s right hand. He was arrested, but the case looked flimsy. Newspaper and television coverage was extensive. Thad was denied bond as a "potential flight risk."

Months went by before the case went to court. Refusing to plead guilty, Thad got a jury trial which lasted more than a week. All the prosecution had was Thad’s red stained hand. Thad’s lawyer said his client was a house painter and had spilled red deck paint on his hand.

The jury was out three hours. When they came back the bailiff took a slip of paper to the judge. "How do you find?" the judge asked the foreman.

"Not guilty," was the jury’s response. The defense lawyer had implanted an element of "reasonable doubt" in the minds of the jurors.

When Thad’s lawyer explained that he was cleared of all charges and free to go, Thad seemed stunned at his good fortune. "One thing I don’t understand," Thad asked. "Does this mean I get to keep the bank money?"