Ricki Lewis

Feb 01, 2014 6:27 AM EST

Thank you for your updates, insights and books. Kudos.

- david r bachinsky

Feb 01, 2014 5:30 PM EST

Thanks David. When I saw a comment I thought someone was going to yell at me for writing about French! It was frustrating to be sitting on this story and not be able to write about it. PLOS would not run it. So I'm glad you noticed it. I do hope that justice is served. Thanks!

- Ricki Lewis

Apr 11, 2014 8:19 AM EDT

I hope you will add this information to the Wikipedia article about Dr. Anderson, which currently leaves the story as it was. I studied with him back in the 1970's and knew several people in his group, and the whole abuse thing always seemed totally out-of-character for the man I knew. I hope this new evidence will be fairly evaluated.

- Helen F. Stanbro

Feb 04, 2015 12:11 PM EST

Dr. Anderson has been a dear and favored genius friend since he first arrived at Harvard University and I am shocked and saddened that justice could be so horribly misused. My entire family sends our deepest prayers that this will be turned around. My love to both doctors and offer whatever help we may be able to give.

- Jince( for the) Bill McCurdy Family

Dec 15, 2015 6:34 PM EST

You know the 'friends of anderson' link on this blog just leads to an article. Not a so-called organization. As a scientist working at USC at the time of the trial I followed this closely in the press. I have looked without finding, a single scientist who went on record with their support of this man. Maybe they exist and I haven't seen it. The judge interviewed appeared to admit to receiving pleas from scientists, but these names were not publicly released. So they're either fictional or else don't want to be publicly associated with a convicted child molestor. I also saw some of the emails written by Anderson to the victim. These are available online. Anyone who thinks this guy is innocent should read them. They are creepy and demonstrate a man with serious issues. These along with the other evidence made the case that convicted him. Which is why there are no 'prominent scientists' much less 200 of them, willing to put their names next to his.

- Iggee popp

Sep 22, 2016 1:15 AM EDT

I am forensic engineer who was asked to review the recording used as evidence. I believe in our judicial system.....however I have proved many times where individuals within governmental systems adulterate evidence. Please go read the new evidence which proves that law enforcement altered the recording. Doesn't this situation cause anyone to wonder why any court would deny a citizen the right to present evidence of his innocence, no matter when the evidence was discovered? Our founding documents don't establish the details of how our judicial system is to function in its totality. However, they do explicitly state each citizens rights. I hope that this entire episode will be open for discussion with the public at large. All citizens should be aware of the conduct of some of the individuals in law enforcement for this case. And we should seriously look at the system which is in place that allows a law enforcement individual to violate a citizens rights by manufacturing evidence for the purpose of taking away a persons freedom, his wealth, and sometimes his life. These acts, performed by individuals that are protected under the 'color of law' should be utilized as the evidence that it is....to prosecute the corrupt persons.

- Not signed for my protection

Sep 22, 2016 4:15 AM EDT

Thank you anonymous forensic engineer. I have wanted to fully write French's story, perhaps even as a book, for many years. The few times I've had the ear of an editor, lawyers intervene, and I cannot do it. This post is the only writing I've done about French. I hope that he will be exonerated and released, and that I can meet him and finally help him to tell his story. It is a travesty of justice. Thank you again. I've read the evidence report.

- Ricki Lewis

Jan 25, 2017 5:17 PM EST

Sadly, French's faith in the judicial system was really his downfall. He simply assumed the system worked, so by the time he figured out that it was a game of brinkmanship not justice, it was too late; convicted. He never stepped up. But, as the forensic engineer pointed out, the physical evidence has been debunked. So, Ricki, stay tuned; French isn't licked yet.

- dailylooker

Jan 25, 2017 6:02 PM EST

thanks dailylooker. I haven't heard anything from the French camp in a long time. I think of him often and hope he is ok.

- Ricki Lewis

Apr 16, 2017 2:06 PM EDT

I knew the brave survivor who came forward and accused him. I know that he paid a ton of money to a private investigator to try and discredit her. I know that the PI showed up at two of her counselors' doors late in the evening, when these women were alone, in an attempt to catch them changing their story. What would cause the PD to even alter things to hurt him--a respected, successful white scientist who was financially supportive of police. (The San Marino PD turned it over to LA County because they knew the fact that he had given their department significant money for equipment would cause a problem in a trial. LA County had no reason to believe he was a bad dude, but they are going to alter evidence.) I know that there were other survivors who didn't come forward for a host of reasons, including the slander thrown at the one who did. He did this, and the fact that he is brilliant and charming does not absolve him of anything. He did this.

- Denise Gill

Apr 16, 2017 3:04 PM EDT

Thanks Denise. I know that there are many sides to these tragic events and I acknowledge that I have only heard one. I really appreciate your comment.

- Ricki Lewis

Apr 21, 2017 9:08 AM EDT

I actually sat next to French Anderson at a company meeting once. I was new and he asked me who I was. I gave him my thumbnail bio and asked him who he was. He laughed! Others at the table laughed. He never told me his name. I left the meeting thinking "What an asshole!" Turns out he wasn't just an asshole, he is a pedophile, too!

- Thomas O'Neill

Apr 21, 2017 11:37 AM EDT

Well, we just don't know. Behavior is subjective -- what is sexual assault to one person is accepted behavior to another.

- Ricki Lewis

Apr 25, 2018 4:22 PM EDT

I knew French Anderson from USC Medical Campus in the early 90's. I worked for Computing Services. His department had a Novel server named Genome. In 1995 I was doing routine file system maintenance on all the servers on campus and noticed a directory on Genome that had an unusual high amount of data in an unusual location. I examined and found hundreds of jpeg files of child porn. I deleted it and flushed the salvage buffer. I never suspected it may have been his. I had too much respect for him. Very sad.

- Leny Freeman

Jul 02, 2018 1:51 PM EDT

thomas o' neill you haven't a clue you don't know the man you have a nasty little mind and French can prove he is innocent when he is allowed to

- richard lane

Sep 23, 2018 2:14 PM EDT

Well, we just don't know. Behavior is subjective -- what is sexual assault to one person is accepted behavior to another.
- Ricki Lewis
Ummm... no. We have very specifically defined laws on what constitutes sexual assault. sounds like you’re trying to explain away sexual assaults on a 10yr old by a decades-older man. wow. if your credibility was poor before, it’s gone now.

- Darth zigg

Sep 23, 2018 2:44 PM EDT

I am not comfortable answering you. If you feel better after insulting me personally, so be it.

- Ricki Lewis

Sep 22, 2014 8:15 AM EDT

Wow -- Hugh and Lisa, I think that it is courageous and also a role model to other parents, what you did for Bea. I am a medical journalist and alum of your college. Williams where I first took a genetics class and worked with Larry Vankin. As it happens, genetics comes into all our lives, when a parent dies or a child is born. How would you advise genetic counselors now?

- Claire Berman Blum

Sep 22, 2014 11:10 AM EDT

Address about what? See current entry about expanded genetic testing. We'll need many more genetic counselors. Thanks for writing.

- Ricki Lewis

Jul 07, 2014 3:53 PM EDT

Thanks Carla! That blog post is memorable because my daughter was very ill and I was with her in the hospital as she was being rehydrated. The decision came out and my editor emailed me asking that I write it up, and I read the decision right there in the hospital and banged out the post. I'll never forget it! Good luck with your career!

- Ricki Lewis