 As a direct result, Titus was convicted wrongly of Rape in the First Degree, a crime that had a mandatory prison sentence.Working with investigative reporter Paul Henderson of the Seattle Times, Titus' new attorney, Jeff Jones, whom Titus had hired to pursue an appeal of his conviction, was able to convince the trial judge to grant a new trial based upon evidence developed by Henderson, arguing that Titus' trial attorney had been ambushed by surprise testimony which directly contradicted evidence contained in the Port of Seattle Police investigative reports.Subsequently, as a result of good police work by a local municipal police officer who had been reading the new articles about the case, a lead was developed as to a new suspect.