Can you imagine standing in your back yard grilling burgers on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the spring? I think most of us can. But thankfully most of us can not comprehend the rest of this story. Imagine looking up from the grill to see two detectives standing there wanting to ask you a few questions. They are there because a month before a horrible crime was committed. A woman was murdered and her two little girls were savagely attacked. It just so happens you knew this family. And through some very questionable procedures, you have now been identified as a potential suspect. You know youre innocent. You know you have nothing to hide and no reason to lie. So you agree to talk to them. You agree to give hair, blood, saliva samples and fingerprints. You agree to have your body searched for signs of a struggle. You agree to participate in a line-up. After all, youre innocent. Why not do anything you can to help the police? But somehow after the line-up, youre not taken back home. You are placed under arrest, charged with these brutal crimes and issued a $1,000,000 bail. WHAT????? No, no, no! This is all wrong! Well with a bail of one million dollars youre not going anywhere so you start preparing for trial, knowing you will be found innocent and return to your life. Thats what the justice system does, right? Separates the innocent from the guilty. You wait and wait, continuance after continuance and finally after 15 months you are finally in court fighting for your very life. After all the state is asking for the death penalty. As you sit through the trial, all you can think about is waiting to hear that verdict, Not Guilty that will send you back home to your life and your family. Because that WILL happen, this is America, the greatest justice system in the world. But that doesnt happen. When the jury finally comes back a mistrial is declared. The jury is deadlocked. You dont go home, but back to that dismal cell to wait for a 2nd chance in court. Two months later that chance comes. Something seems different this time. Your lawyer doesnt seem to be fighting as hard. Of course, you have no way of knowing but he is preoccupied with his own pending legal problems. On the other hand, the state is even more determined to convict you of crimes you did not commit. They bring in even more experts. They even have the victims family give testimony that is not true. This time the jury deliberates for a very short time and they deliver the unthinkable verdict. GUILTY! What???? How can that be??? Werent they listening? Dont they know? I am INNOCENT? Your appeals are denied and you resign yourself to living out your life in prison. Then 20+ years later the Innocence Project is introduced to your case and they see an innocent man, wrongfully convicted. They begin the fight for your freedom. The state is standing firmly behind your conviction, shooting down every attempt at your freedom. The Innocence Project vows to keep fighting, no matter how long it takes. You are now 70 years old. Your children and most of your grandchildren are grown. You now have great grandchildren asking you when youre coming home. You have lost your mother, your brother, your sister, and many other family members. You begin to wonder how long WILL it take? Then 32 years after your arrest an investigator has taken an interest in your case. It has characteristics that match other murders committed by a notorious serial killer. Again, new life breathed into your fight for freedom. Another nationally known organization that believes in you. He has begun a new battle. This battle may finally culminate in answers for you and for the victims family. This battle may finally culminate in your freedom. But still you are locked away. Still you wait. You cant do anything to help yourself except to ask, Everyone PLEASE sign this petition.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 21:11:29 +0000
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