Three aviation experts have written letters to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, expressing their support for a clemency bid by a state prisoner nicknamed the "ninja killer." The prisoner, Temujin Kensu, has been fighting to overturn his murder conviction for over 30 years, maintaining his innocence. The letters, delivered to Whitmer's office on December 5th by Kensu's legal team, raise doubts about the theory presented at trial that Kensu could have chartered a private plane to commit the crime.

Harvey Setter, the former manager of Delta County Airport in Escanaba, Michigan, from 1982 to 1999, wrote one of the letters. He stated that the theory presented at trial, suggesting that Kensu chartered a plane to fly between locations undetected, was "so improbable it's unbelievable." Setter's expertise and knowledge of local airports led him to question the feasibility of such a scenario.

The two other letters were written by a former owner of an airport service station and a commercial pilot, both of whom offered similar assessments to Setter's. These experts, who had not been previously contacted by authorities, stated that the plane theory presented at trial was not feasible based on their knowledge of the local airports connected to the case.

Kensu, who is now 60 years old, has consistently maintained his innocence since his arrest for the fatal shooting of Scott Macklem, a student at St. Clair Community College, in 1986. Despite nine alibi witnesses placing Kensu over 400 miles away from the crime scene in Escanaba, no physical evidence has ever linked him to the murder. Nonetheless, Kensu was convicted of murder in 1987 and has been serving a life sentence without parole.

Over the years, additional evidence pointing towards Kensu's innocence has emerged, including the recantation of testimony from a jailhouse informant and the testimony of alibi witnesses who did not testify at trial. Kensu's case has gained support from influential figures, including the late Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan.

However, Mike Wendling, the current prosecutor in St. Clair County, dismissed the plane theory as a "red herring." Wendling believes that jurors convicted Kensu in part because they did not believe the alibi witnesses and that Kensu would still be the leading suspect if the case were reviewed again.

Kensu's previous appeals have been exhausted, and he has been denied clemency three times before, including by Gov. Whitmer. Last year, the Michigan Attorney General's Conviction Integrity Unit declined his release on technical grounds without making a determination regarding his innocence or guilt.

The future of Kensu's case hinges on his current clemency application, which has been pending before the Michigan Parole Board since June 2022. Once the board reviews the application and provides a recommendation, it will be submitted to Gov. Whitmer for a final decision.

Imran Syed, Kensu's attorney and co-director of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, believes that the letters from aviation experts further cast doubt on both the plane theory and the credibility of the key witness used by prosecutors. He argues that the evidence presented, including the eyewitness testimony, raises questions about the validity of Kensu's conviction, and there is no reason for Kensu to remain in prison.

During the trial, the prosecutor, Robert Cleland, argued that Kensu, a martial arts practitioner, was violent and skilled in mind control, and killed Macklem out of jealousy. To counter Kensu's alibi witnesses, Cleland called a pilot named Bob Evans to testify, suggesting that a flight between Escanaba and Port Huron could have been made in the timeframe of the murder. However, no evidence of such a flight was presented.

The former pilot, Bob Evans, has since passed away. The current prosecutor, Wendling, believes that the plane theory was unnecessary and admits that if he were reviewing the case today, he would question the inclusion of the airplane theory.

Kensu's attorney and the supporters of his case hope that the letters from aviation experts, along with previous evidence, will prompt Gov. Whitmer's office to reconsider Kensu's clemency application. They argue that Kensu's continued imprisonment is unjust, given the lack of evidence connecting him to the crime.

The governor's office, however, maintains that clemency applications are reviewed after a recommendation from the state Parole Board. The Michigan Department of Corrections and the Parole Board have not provided any comments on the ongoing case.

The letters from the aviation experts provide another layer of support for Temujin Kensu's bid for clemency, reigniting hope for his release after over three decades behind bars. As the clemency application awaits review, the focus remains on the credibility of the plane theory, the witness testimonies, and the overall validity of Kensu's conviction.