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Wisconsin has dissected Zellner's court filing to determine evidence that was overlooked at the time Avery was convicted of killing Halbach. Zellner contends that the new battery of tests can be done within the next three months, if not sooner. She said the tests will reveal who killed Halbach and will show there was massive evidence planting — not only by Manitowoc County law enforcement, but also possibly by civilian searchers following Halbach's disappearance.

Source: http://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/local/steven-avery/2016/08/31/defense-targets-key-evidence-halbach-case/89558120/

I would like ask about the backshifting in the passage in bold in the above excerpt. Can you explain to me why the backshifting is like that. If I applied my school knowledge concerning this matter, the clause would be: …She said the tests would reveal who had killed Halbach and would show there had been massive evidence planting — not only by Manitowoc County law enforcement, but also possibly by civilian searchers following Halbach's disappearance.

bart-leby
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    There is no backshifting in the original quote, probably because the tests will not be completed until some time in the future, and the reporter finds the future completion date more compelling than the need to mark the statement as reportage, a second-hand remark. – TimR Sep 01 '16 at 19:06
  • What TRomano said. The simple future "will reveal" is used here because at the time of speaking, the tests have not been done. The conditional present "would reveal" is a little less certain that "will reveal," and the reported speaker here is certain of the outcome. (It also may be merely the reporter's habitual way of expressing the future, with no intention at all!) – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica Sep 01 '16 at 19:33

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If the situation we are reporting still exists or is still in the future and the verb in the reporting clause has a past tense, then we can use either will or would, can/could, may/might in the reported clause. The situation in your example is still in the future, so both will or would are valid.

V.V.
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