In 2003, Walter became an innocent victim of Drake's attempts to get a new trial, when, after 27 years of appeals, Drake was granted a new trial when the U. S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Walter had inflated his resume and committed perjury in the 1982 trial. The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) investigated Walter, a longtime member, for wrongdoing. Walter wrote to the AAFS's Ethics Committee that he was "flabbergasted and stunned" because "the Niagara County Prosecutor's Office did not…advise me of the issue and/or make any effort to respond to Drake's contrived and malicious claims…the U.S. Court of Appeals…relied totally upon the false and misleading statements made in Drake's affidavit…without a challenge to the accuracy or authenticity." The AAFS twice investigated Drake's allegations against Walter and found Walter innocent of any wrongdoing.