New York Police Department detective Louis Scarcella claimed at a 1995 appeals hearing that he "engaged in numerous investigative steps" to check out Astin, but couldn't produce any paperwork to show that, according to the prosecutor's recent court papers.
Joseph Astin, who had died in a 1990 car accident, had been possible suspect before: Scarcella had brought the courier to the morgue in hopes that he could identify Astin as the gunman, but he couldn't.