24 hours with the devil!!!

A NEW DAWN 6

I got to the car after Mr. John went back into his cell and I could not help but feel his pain and the lack of hope he felt at that moment in time. I was in so much pain as I thought about my conversation with Mr. John and although he had not revealed a lot to me, I felt a burning desire within me to help him and find a lasting solution to his case. Before driving off, I took one more look at the prison yard, took a deep breath and picked up Mr. John’s case file once more to take a quick glance at it. I drove off and got home that night feeling a bit restless and uneasy. Determined to find a solution, I decided to get to work immediately. I brought up a lot of files, testimony of the witness, the court’s judgement, the Sheriff’s role in his arrest, news conferences and all. During my research, I noticed a vast disparity in the case and this created some sort of doubt in my mind that Mr. John actually committed the crime that he was being accused of. I stayed up all night and at dawn, Jenifer walked up to me in the sitting room and asked if I slept at all last night. Looking pale, red eyed, dizzy and somewhat weak, I replied her saying “No, I did not!” “Why? You need to get a little rest. Look at you, you are a mess. Come on now, take a shower and get some sleep” Jenifer said. “I know, Jenny. I will get some sleep later. But hey, I found something huge during my research last night. I do not think Mr. John committed the offence of murder that he is being accused of”, I said. “How do you mean?” Jenifer asked. “Well, the state based its entire case on the testimony of one man and this man in question is a man who apparently is serving a prison sentence of about thirty years for committing the offence of murder. Does that not look fishy to you?”, I said. “Yes,’ it does”, replied Jennifer. “Exactly! Also, why base a murder case on the evidence of just one man? Just one! Especially one serving jail time for the commission of the offence of murder”, I said. “It could be that Mr. John was framed and this man was offered a reduced sentence to lie against Mr. John”, said Jenny. “Also, having a cursory look at his testimony against Mr. John, you will notice a vast irregularity in that testimony. The name of this man is Bryan. Bryan spent most of his life in and out of prison. When he testified, he was on trial for a different murder which he ended up getting thirty years for. Bryan testified that Mr. John approached him at g*n point to drive him to Gabe’s cleaners because his arm hurts and when they get there, he claimed that Mr. John told him to wait in the truck while he waits inside. Now, while he is waiting for his supposed kidnapper, he did not run, he did not escape, he did not seek for help or even call the police. he claimed that he drove away to the liquor store for cigarettes and still came back to the crime scene to meet his supposed kidnapper. Now tell me, does that make any sense?” “Excuse me? Was that really the testimony he gave in court? That does not make sense in any way or form possible”, Jenny said. “Exactly! But that is not all Jenny. Listen further to this. Bryan claimed further that on getting back to the crime scene, he hears a gunshot, he runs inside and sees the body of the young Miss Rosy Lane on the floor, face up and Mr. John standing over her body with a g*n in his hand alongside one older white guy whom he claimed to be the store manager. Now, remember that this is a man who is on trial for murder. Who takes the evidence of one on trial for murder serious? Now, this is where it gets interesting! Do you know that Mr. Bryan had a reduced sentence of thirty years? Thirty years for someone found guilty of murder? Now, tell mee Lenny, does that make sense to you?”, I said. “Well, what makes sense to me is that this is looking like Mr. John was framed of committing the offence of killing the young Miss Rosy Lane”, Jenny replied. “But is there any further thing we need to know about the case?”, Jenny said further. “According to the files of Mr. John, there is one another witness backing up the testimony of Mr. Bryan and his name is Mr. Stanley Hooks. The only thing this young man said was that he saw Mr. John’s low rider truck leaving Gabe’s cleaners at the time of the murder and that is it. Jenny, this also makes little sense. I strongly believe that Mr. John is innocent of this offence and that he was merely framed for an offence of murder that he did not commit. Who knows? Maybe he was not even present at the scene at the time of the murder or maybe he was just a passerby or maybe it was just a mere coincidence that he happened to be at the scene of the murder at the time the murder in question was committed. But one thing is clear to me and what is clear to me is that something looks fishy and Mr. John is innocent!”, I said, albeit passionately. Jenny stared at me while I lamented as she nodded her head in approval to what I was saying. “David, I think we have to reopen this case. I know it is be going to be very difficult considering the circumstances of the case, especially considering the fact that judgement has been passed against Mr. John for committing the offence of murder and also, considering the fact that he is currently on death row. Looking at his standing as a black man poses the biggest challenge of all right now and we will need to make a very strong point before this case will even be considered of being looked into before it even being considered for reopening”, Jenny said, quite emphatically. “Jenny, I am going to fight for Mr. John’s innocence even if it means me drawing my last breath to ensure his safety and prove his innocence in the process!”, I said. “But it is rather quite appalling that a young white woman in the person of Miss Rosy Lane is murdered in broad day light and the Sheriff cannot solve the crime for how long now?”, Jenny asked. “Almost a year!”, I said sipping the cup of coffee Jenny gave to me earlier. “And then some other white guy who is charged with a different murder said that he can tell them who did it if he gets a reduced sentence? And the guy that he said did it happens to be a black man from a poor community that no one will think twice about? Except his family, of course”, Jenny said. “There is got to be more evidence than this”, I said sipping my cup of coffee further. “I think I have to set up a meeting with the D.A. Yes, that is what I have to do. Let us set up a meeting with the D.A”, I said. “The former D.A, Tommy Jackman who was responsible for handling Mr. John’s case was let out of office a few months ago and was dismissed from his job. He used to be a public defender. There is a new D.A in charge currently”, Jenny said “Maybe he is not aligned with the rest of them and they had to dismiss him as a result. I would like to even visit him and talk to him further about the case. Maybe he can help us with useful information that we can use to solve Mr. John’s case”, I said. “Unfortunately, Mr. Tommy is not in town anymore. He was posted to another town entirely after being dismissed from his job as the D.A”, Jenny said. “Now, that makes sense and it further proves that there is something fishy going on with regards to this particular case. The Sheriff, the D.A, the Judge, Mr. Bryan and everyone involved in this case knows that Mr. John did not commit this offence and they are trying to cover their tracks, thereby sending an innocent man to jail in the process. Why? Simply because he is black? Simply because he is not as privileged as the white folks? They did not think about the mental trauma this man must be going through knowing fully well he did not commit the crime that he is being accused of. They did not think of the mental trauma that his family must be going through as well. As long as the person being thrown under the bus is a black man, they know they will get all the praise. As long as the person who is going to face public scrutiny and public condemnation is a black man, no one will care but rather, everyone will leap for joy, everyone will jump in excitement knowing fully well that a black man is in chains. They will bask under the false pretense of justice being served as they watch with glee as a black man takes the fall for an offence that he knows absolutely nothing about!” I said, raising my voice angrily in the process and hitting the desk in anger with water circles already forming around my eye lids. “You need to relax, David. Get your act together while I set up a meeting with the current D.A for you”, Jenny said. “Thank you very much, Jenny. Let me go take a shower, get dressed and get ready for the meeting with the D.A”, I said. “You better!”, Jenny said, smiling emphatically. “Now, can you wipe off that gloom from your face and smile a little?”, she said further smiling. “Alright Jenny”, I said, faking a smile.