Patrick Swiney

Patrick Swiney passed away on July 28, 2009 while incarcerated. He will no longer have to suffer in prison for a crime he did not commit.

We at Americas Wrongfully Convicted pray for him and his family. God rest his soul.

Patrick Swiney is a graduate of the Alabama State Police Academy (1967) and the Huntsville Police Academy (1966). He is a former Police Officer serving with the Huntsville Police Department in Huntsville (1965-1969), the Vestavia Police Department in Vestavia Hills (1969-1973), and the Gulf Shores Police Department in Gulf Shores (1973-1977). Mr. Swiney served as Vice-President of the Fraternal Order of Police while with the Vestavia Police Department. While working for the Gulf Shores Police Department, Patrick was instrumental in exposing a drug smuggling operation resulting in the conviction of the District Attorney in Baldwin County and the Sheriff’s Department chief investigator. Patrick left police work due to his disillusionment with the law enforcement community (after the drug smuggling incident in Gulf Shores) and went to work first as a legal investigator (1977-1980) and then as an over-the-road driver (1980-1986).

Was Patrick Swiney framed? Someone seems to have gone through an awful lot of trouble to make him take the fall for the murder of his wife and her ex-husband.

If we didn’t know better, and we don’t, it would appear that quite a few people wouldn’t shed a tear seeing him being put away for life. Actually quite a few people would have the motive, maybe, to make sure it happened – and it did happen!

In 1989 Patrick looking through a window became witness to his newly wedded wife since five months and her ex husband passionately embracing and fondling, then the lights went out as he got a severe blow to the back of his head. When he woke up he was inside with two bodies, with the tip of the barrel of a 22 cal. semi-automatic rifle held by his fingertips. The rifle had been in his truck when he got hit. He was confused, and in pain, but immediately summoned help.

Patrick himself, was a former police officer responsible for putting a DA and a Chief Investigator in federal prison, before he - disgusted with corruption - turned in his badge. He had had attempts made on his life, not once but twice. Even so the handling of the crime-scene was shoddy if anything and Patrick was denied seeing a doctor when he complained about the pain in his head.

The DA was his murdered wife’s childhood sweetheart. Forensic evidence got suppressed and the DA even told the Coroners office not to perform a vaginal swab and fingernail cultures during the autopsy of the corpses. Why didn’t the DA want the DNA evidence? Would it have showed something less than convenient?

The suppressed forensic evidence that DID exist showed that there was no blood or gunpowder residue on Patrick – which conclusively shows he could not have fired the weapon - so who did?

Patrick Swiney was convicted of a double murder on June 12, 1989, by the courts in Shelby County, in the State of Alabama. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is innocent and we can prove it beyond any doubt.

J. Michael Campbell -- District Attorney of Shelby County, first cousin to Mickey Johnson
Robbie Owens - Assistant DA of Shelby County, first cousin to J. Michael Campbell, who is now stonewalling our attempts to obtain crime scene evidence
Mickey Johnson - Attorney at Law, criminal attorney who declined to be defense attorney, second cousin to Patrick Swiney, first cousin to J. Michael Campbell
Betty Snow Swiney - Patrick Swiney's wife, J. Michael Campbell's high school sweetheart
Richard "Dick" Bell - Attorney at Law, divorce attorney and former employer of Patrick Swiney
Ronald Pate - Betty Snow Swiney's ex-husband
Jimmy Hendrix - District Attorney of Baldwin County, arrested for racketeering due to evidence Patrick obtained
Bobbie Stewart - Chief Investigator for Sheriff's office, arrested for racketeering due to evidence Patrick obtained
Nell Snow - Betty Swiney's mother, politically powerful woman in Alabama and friend of J. Michael Campbell

The DA of Shelby County alleged that Patrick sought, stalked, and tracked down his unfaithful wife Betty Snow Swiney and her ex-husband Ronald Pate, found them while they were in the course of adulterous activities, and on December 10, 1987, he shot and killed them in cold blooded murder in a "white hot jealous rage".

In 1997, 10 years later, Sherry Swiney found two forensic reports that had never been admitted into the trial. One was on blood testing. No blood was found on Patrick Swiney's skin or clothing, even though the DA claimed that Patrick shot the male victim at point blank range in the head, execution style. The second forensic report was on the gun powder residue testing. Below are excerpts of that report.

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF FORENSIC SCIENCES BIRMINGHAM DIVISION
Joseph H.Embry, M.D. Slate Medical Examiner

"Laboratory analyses failed to reveal conclusive evidence that the above named person fired a weapon, handled a fired weapon, or whether the hands were in close proximity to a fire arm when it was discharged."

At the bottom of the forensic report there's a note that says "It should be noted that certain brands of .22 caliber rim fire ammunition do not contain the elements necessary to make this determination."

Signed

David L. Higgins
Laboratory Analyst III
Birmingham Laboratory

"FORENSIC SCIENCES INVOLVE THE APPLICATION OF SCIENCE AND MEDICINE TO THE PURPOSES OF JUSTICE."

These forensic reports were NEVER PRESENTED AT TRIAL! They were suppressed by the D.A. J. Michael Campbell (who is now in private practice and no longer the D.A of Shelby County, Alabama. He was replaced by Robbie Owens who was the assistant D.A. at trial, after Patrick's community made sure Campbell was not re-elected after what he did to Patrick at the kangaroo trial). Had these forensic reports been presented at trial, ballistics experts would have been called to testify. Campbell knew this.

Since finding these reports 10 years later, ballistic experts have testified to Mrs. Swiney with respect to the gunshot residue report. Three of these testimonies are cited verbatim below. In essence, it is impossible for a person -- any person -- to shoot this model of weapon - a Charter Arms AR7 .22 semi-automatic rifle - and not be *covered* with gun powder residue. Keep in mind that supposedly Patrick fired multiple shots inside the house. A third expert actually shot this model of weapon in Mrs. Swiney's presence and she could see the blow-back coming from the rifle as it was being fired. He said if he went to a lab to have his hands and hair tested, he would be covered with microscopic gun powder residue particles from one shot out doors where a breeze can blow most of it away. In addition, the autopsy report states that gun powder was found on the bodies of both victims but there was no gun powder residue found on Patrick - and no blood.

PATRICK SWINEY is not the shooter. The DA knew this then and he knows this now. Still, Patrick was sentenced to Life without Parole and he's been made to suffer greatly since 1989 at the hands of Wardens who absolutely delight in torturing prisoners, especially when one of them is like Patrick: an activist for justice (which is why the P.A.T.R.I.CK. Crusade is named in his honor).

(1) Taken from ICQ computer-to-computer chat 11-5-99 between Dr. Boris deKorczak Ph.D. weapons expert and Sherry Swiney, Patrick's wife

BORIS Sherry, How much of residue was there on the stock of the rifle? Do we know or do we don't know?

SHERRY The report does not indicate that the stock was tested but I'll search the CD for the word residue and see what we can find.

BORIS You have ammo 40 grain. 15-16% is being blown away through the firing mechanism into the direction of the shooter. The lab should be able to establish the missing grains, taking to consideration quantity of residue on the stock.

SHERRY OK.. I'll go look for something to this nature. What about the bullets and primers, does that make any difference at all?

SHERRY Great! One person I spoke to said that .22's have a different kind of primer that doesn't emit any gun powder and that confused me.

BORIS Primer, regardless if it is center primer or side primer like in 22 has nothing to do with residue. It simply is not a gun powder.

SHERRY I see... so these tests show either that they did a real sloppy job of inspecting the evidence or that PS actually was not the shooter.

BORIS Look at this. The exploding in the shell gun powder propels the projectile at same time it gives a recoil - meaning a part of gases go "backward" and leave through the small imperfections in the ammunition chamber and rest of the mechanism. It is directed opposite to the direction of the projectile.

SHERRY Wonderful! Then we have sufficient information to show that PS is not the shooter - a mystery indeed.

BORIS Now. If we take as a constant value the speed of the expanding gases - ca. 1000FT/sec., then the gases going opposite direction go about 3/4 of this speed. Ergo. They have enough power to imbed the particles of burned and unburned powder into the right hand of the shooter, right cheek of the shooter, his hair, etc.

BORIS Those miniscule particles are usually invisible to the naked eye. They can be " lifted" with help of hot wax or other chemicals.

SHERRY I wonder, if we ever do get the photos if you can also see from that examination if there was residue on the rifle ?

SHERRY If the photos are not good quality, do you think that can be done from the video?

SHERRY I hope that after the UN examines the document they will tell the courts to release the photos for examination if they have any doubts.

BORIS GHerman Sicherheit Polizei have outstanding record of their crime lab testing. They could be approached and asked for independent opinion.

BORIS Remember one thing 22 does not have a center primer. It is a side primer and it has nothing to do with residues.

BORIS The bottom of an ordinary ammo piece, the round like a coin part has a "center" looking like if there was a little nail head imbedded in it. The .22 does not have it. Primer sits under the surface of the shell's head /coin like/ and is being struck by the firing pin which hits the side of the bottom instead of center.

BORIS In crazy terms. Any other ammo looks like an eye with a pupil. .22 looks like a blind eye.

SHERRY Yes, OK! Tell me this....when Alabama lab says at the bottom of their report that "some" 22's don't reveal residue, they put that there to mislead I think. And then it was never questioned!

BORIS here is no gun in the world, artillery, revolvers, rifles, etc which do not disperse the residue.

BORIS If Patrick fired this gun he MUST have had miniscule particles of the residue imbedded in his skin, clothing, hair, etc.

SHERRY That is what I thought but no one would listen to one who is not an expert at this like you are.

SHERRY If we do go back to court, we will certainly need your expert testimony.

BORIS Go to any shooting place and fire .22. Then go and get your hands tested - you will be surprised how much of this stuff they will find.

SHERRY You know, some months back when I visited with our Correctional Guard friend, he took out his AR7 .22 rifle and shot it for me so I could actually "see" the blow-by coming out of the mechanism. He said that if he went and had his hands tested there would be residue on them for sure.

BORIS Remember - allegedly PS fired multiple shots - ergo - the quantity of the residue would be very impressive.

(2) From Ron Plumlee, Sr. Monday April 24, 2000 921 am to Larry "Doc" Stansberry, Chaplain

Greetings Doc Maybe I can help our brother in the .22 residue situation. I will give you the information and you decide. First my credentials in brief

1. Valedictorian of my gunsmith college class (Journeyman).
2. Trained on most major weapons by their factory instructors.
3. Certified Master-Rangemaster/Chemical agents instructor state of CA.
4. N.R.A./U.S. Marines, State of OR certified range master.
5. Been teaching civilians, law enforcement, and college in firearms since 1974.
6. 30 year law enforcement career. 21 years patrol in all facets, 9 years in
corrections. Retired from state of CA in Dec. 95. last few years I was a full-time
armoire for the state. I taught, cleaned, and repaired. Also prepared post-shooting
reports (fatal & non) and evidence for shooting review boards and court testimony.

Doc a .22 is the most dirty shooting weapon probably in the world. A large portion of its powder is unburned or only partially burned on ignition of the cartridge. Plus most .22 bullets are coated with a very thin wax like substance that also adds to the mix. All .22's have blow-back of residue.

Depending on the style of the weapon, some more than others. Semi-autos blow more out and back than say a bolt action. This is due to the tighter lockup of the firing mechanisms of the bolt action than the semi-auto. The primer is so small and has so few chemicals in it, that it is virtually a non-issue here. The blow-back of the normal powder is more than enough to mark a shooter and the weapon. I have been gunsmithing since approx. 1975.

With rare exception, everytime a person brings in a .22 rifle that does not work, it is because they have not cleaned it in some time, and the .22 cartridge "residue" has caused it to malfunction. And, the semi-auto .22 pistols are no exception. Hope this helped in some way. My web site also gives you an idea of who I am, and what I am about.

At trial, a negative finding of any test has to be considered most favorable to the defense, and if not done, it must be considered negative. This is plain law.

While Nuclear activation does not usually pick up residue from a 0.22 caliber weapon, atomic absorption does. A shotgun blast (or a double shotgun blast) leaves significant residue both on the target (in this case the victim, and on the hands of the shooter.

Does Dr Embry suggest that a 0.22 caliber weapon was used as the murder weapon? If so, it contradicts the state's case.

Dr.. Joseph Embry, State Medical Examiner, testified in the trial of 1989 that the DA's office called the coroner's office to tell them not to perform DNA testing on the female victim. Dr. Embry stated that this was highly unusual. Thus, the vaginal swab and fingernail cultures were not taken. This destroyed the DNA evidence forever. Proving adultery was essential to this case. We sought to find out why the DA would not only suppress but destroy the very evidence that would prove his case against Patrick Swiney.

Here are letters by those who knew the female victim Betty Snow, the District Attorney J. Michael Campbell and Patrick Swiney well.

I am a friend of the Swiney family and I have worked hard over the years to help Patrick Swiney. I am one of the few who is not afraid of Nell Snow's political influence. When Patrick was arrested, I was shocked and, with his mother Odelle Swiney, we led the community to come up with the initial bond of $125,000.00. As soon as we did this, Michael Campbell got that bond raised to $500,000.00 which we raised in one day. I went to Mike Campbell's office and told him that even if he raised that bond to a million dollars, we'd get Patrick out of jail. I told him these things because I know Patrick very well. I know the history of his life and his marriage to Betty Snow. Now, I wish I'd told Patrick how Betty was the type of person who would sleep with just about anyone who would ask her [like mother, like daughter], and I wish I'd told him about Betty and Mike Campbell having an affair, but I just couldn't bring myself to say these things to Patrick because I knew how much it would hurt him. I've always felt that Patrick would one day be released from prison to come home where I think he belongs. I have my doubts as to whether Patrick actually shot anyone, but even if he did, under the circumstances, I think it was justified because a man can only take so much before he cracks.

Patrick may have been hot-headed at times, but he was never hurtful to anyone. He helped everyone who needed help and this is why his community loved him enough to help him get bonded out. We were so angry with the unfairness of the trial and how Mike Campbell lied to the jury, that after Patrick was sent to prison, I headed up a campaign to get Mike Campbell kicked out of office. One year after Patrick was sent to prison, Campbell was no longer District Attorney. We saw to that and are proud to have removed him from office because he abused his powers and that's not what we want in our county. We want fairness and justice for everyone. I don't think that's what Patrick received and now I ask you as governor and former attorney general, to please do everything you possibly can to right a terrible wrong that's been done in Shelby County to a good and decent man. I think Patrick Swiney deserves his freedom and I hope you will act upon this to show the citizens of Alabama that you are a man who seeks justice for all.

I am Patrick Swiney's brother. I am an electrical design engineer living with my wife and three children in Ohio. My 12-year-old son, Patrick, is named after my brother. My brother is 10 years older than I am, so I was 33 -- my brother 43 -- when this tragedy happened in 1987.

I am writing to you to ask you to look at the evidence of innocence that has recently come to light, showing that my brother was not the one who shot his wife and her lover. And even if my brother had shot them, it would have been in a crime of sudden heat of passion and -- according to Alabama law -- not murder. But my brother was not the kind of person to hurt another person. He was in the police force for 13 years in the State of Alabama and carried a .38 pistol with him at all times. During that time, he never shot anyone, and believe me, there were times when he put his own life in grave danger trying to avoid shooting anyone. He's just not the kind of person who would shoot anyone or hurt anyone. He might get extremely angry, and be harsh with his words, but I tell you that when my brother gets angry, unless he's being directly bodily attacked, he always walks away rather than stay and do harm. He might kick a tree stump, shoot at a rock or a post, punch a wall, but never would he hurt a living soul.

For example, when Patrick was married to his first wife, the mother of his daughter, their marriage was shaky. His wife was jealous of my brother's affection toward his daughter and she drove his daughter away from him. That's what destroyed the marriage. One day, after their separation, Patrick was so angry that he went to their house and shot out a porch lamp. He never aimed at any human being. He just shot out the porch lamp and then left. When this tragedy happened with Betty Snow Swiney and Ronnie Pate, the prosecuting attorney, Mike Campbell confided this porch lamp incident to the defense attorney, Dick Bell, a personal injury attorney -- a gullible man, unfamiliar with the history between Mike Campbell and Betty Snow. Mike Campbell was able to put a lot of fear into the mind of Dick Bell, with scenarios such that Campbell "could" make Patrick look like a dangerous man, walking the streets, who should be locked up because he goes around shooting people when he gets angry, when in fact, all that was ever shot at was a porch lamp.

Dick Bell became sufficiently scared for his client and together, they decided that because this porch lamp incident would make Patrick look very bad in the eyes of the court they should not call any witnesses for the defense, lest this porch lamp incident come out in the open. Mike Campbell made Dick Bell believe that if the lamp incident did not come out in court, Patrick would be better off. However, I know this was part of Campbell's ploy to prevent the real truth from being revealed during the trial. With NO witnesses for the defense, the prosecution had free reign to cite one conjecture after another without fear of being discredited. Had any witnesses for the defense been called to the stand, they would have been able to discredit all of the tales Mike Campbell was presenting to the jury. Not "some" tales, all of them!

In his trickery, Mike Campbell kept his word about not mentioning the porch lamp incident, but instead he called a witness for the prosecution who stated that one time he saw Patrick shoot a BB gun [a pellet gun] at a crow in the yard where he and Betty Snow Swiney lived. Campbell told the jury that this was an indication of how dangerous Patrick was. The truth was that Patrick had a blue-bird nest up in one of his trees and he shot at the crow to keep it from destroying the blue-bird nest. He didn't kill the crow. He just shot at it to cause it to fly away. Most everyone in Alabama knows how rare blue-birds are. They are almost extinct. Stating that because Patrick once shot a pellet gun at a crow meant he had murderous tendencies, is like saying that anyone and everyone who has ever shot a BB gun at a critter -- or any hunter -- has a tendency of becoming a cold-blooded murderer. Nevertheless, Mike Campbell was able to convince the jury that Patrick shooting at a crow was sufficient evidence to show that he had tendencies to be dangerous killer who needed the death penalty to make their neighborhoods safe again. Since there were not going to be any witnesses for the defense, including no expert witnesses, there was not going to be any words to refute this ridiculous innuendo about may brother's character.

The truth is that Mike Campbell and Betty Snow Swiney were high school sweethearts. I and others can attest to this from first-hand knowledge. The fact that Mike Campbell and Betty Snow Swiney remained very close after she and Patrick were married, is widely known. What happened at the trial was a display of judicial misconduct by the District Attorney. He not only hid the truth of innocence [the forensic reports that surfaced in 1997 showing that there was no gun powder residue or blood on my brother's skin or clothing], but he destroyed all evidence of adultery. I believe Mike Campbell should have recused himself from the trial and ordered a Special Prosecutor, but Mike Campbell could not take a chance that his own DNA [sperm] would be revealed in any forensic testing done by the State. Thus, Mike Campbell did not remove himself from this case. He needed to remain closely involved in order to make sure that any chance of his own culpability was headed off before the jury ever heard the truth. Thus, Campbell did pre-arranged maneuvering to ensure that Patrick would be convicted of a crime we now know he did not commit.

However, even without the proof of innocence, Patrick's case was based on adultery and a crime of sudden heat of passion. Mike Campbell could not allow adultery to be admitted into court. Why? Why would Mike Campbell, high school sweetheart [and continued close "friend"] of the victim be so concerned about showing that she and Ronnie Pate had committed adultery as to tell the Coroner's office not to perform the vaginal swab and fingernail cultures during the autopsy? Why would Campbell be so concerned about showing adultery between Betty Snow and Ronnie Pate as to prevent DNA testing of the bed sheets in the guest room? The only logical answer to these questions, knowing beforehand the relationship between Mike Campbell and Betty Snow, is that Campbell must have feared that his own DNA would also be revealed in these tests. How could he possibly explain this to the jury? He couldn't, so he had no choice but to hide the truth from them, while framing an innocent man of a crime he did not commit. How handy for Campbell that my brother was knocked unconscious during the shootings so that he has no idea what happened. How convenient for Campbell that the police did a shoddy job of investigating the crime scene. How advantageous that the police refused to admit my brother to the hospital when he complained about being hit over the head with something that felt like a baseball bat. How inexplicable that the police fabricated [twisted] my sister's comments in their hand-written reports. How untenable that other items written in the police reports are in fact false. For example, the police reports state that my sister and mother were found inside the house at the crime scene when the police arrived, when in fact they were never allowed to enter at all.

I submit to you that my brother is innocent and should be released from prison immediately. A terrible injustice has been done to my brother and my entire family because of the District Attorney's judicial misconduct. The transcripts reveal conjecture by Mike Campbell that only a person on the "inside" of a relationship could have possibly known. Campbell speaks with such passion in the transcripts that, to an observant reader, Campbell was revealing his own personal conversations with the victim, Betty Snow Swiney, in the throws of their own passionate interludes. What the Governor decides to do about the judicial misconduct is a matter for the Governor to decide. Meanwhile, I humbly ask that you do everything possible to right a serious wrong that has been done, and free my brother from prison. Let him walk among the free again where he belonged all along.

Please understand that Patrick has a support system ready to stand behind him to help him re-adjust to the free-world. He is a burden to society now because he is imprisoned without cause. Freeing my brother will also remove an unnecessary tax burden from your constituents.

Thanking you in advance for your honesty and compassion. I pray that you are as outraged over this injustice as anyone would be who sees an innocent person in prison. Fortunately, you are in a position to rectify this, whereas the average citizen is not. You may not have the power to grant clemency to a guilty person who is not on death row, but you can recommend a pardon, partial-pardon, or reduction in sentence; and surely you have the authority to right an obvious injustice.

I am Patrick Swiney's elder sister. As of this writing, Patrick is 55 years old. I am retired and living on disability. I try to carry our mother to visit him in prison every couple of months if possible. Each year it becomes more and more difficult to make the long drive to Atmore. I live in Alabaster, Alabama, in the house where my brother was born. He never was a transient, so when Mike Campbell told the judge Patrick was a transient, to raise the bond, it was a lie.

I know many of the people who were involved in my brother's trial. I recently saw the hand-written police report by Lt. Stanley Oliver and was shocked at what I read. Stanley Oliver is my nephew [my deceased husband's nephew]. Stanley has done a lot of good things for me and my family. For the life of me, I don't understand why he lied about what I told him on the night of the shootings. I never saw his report until just a few months ago. I was unable to set that record straight during the trial because, though I was subpoenaed, I was never called to testify. I never told Stanley Oliver or any other police officer that my brother told me he "did it." Yet the police reports say this is what I told them [see attached]. There are other anomalies in the police reports but I never knew about them until just recently. As sad as it was that night, especially for my brother, I think the police could have done a better job at reporting things accurately. For one thing, our mother and I are not the only ones who saw Patrick's condition when he first told us of the shooting. My brother was in a state of shock. Our friend, Jerry Mead was at my house when Patrick arrived to have me call 911. Jerry also went to the crime scene with us, but Jerry's name isn't mentioned in any of the police reports I saw. I don't know why Jerry was never interviewed or deposed. He was never called to testify in the trial either. I don't understand this because Jerry could have told the jury how stunned and "out of it" my brother was, like maybe he was hit over the head to make him unconscious. I guess we'll never know for sure, but I do know one thing my brother does not lie. Anyone will tell you that Patrick Swiney will tell the truth even if it means he'll get into trouble for it.

I know what it feels like to be a victim of violent crime. My husband was murdered by two black men in Birmingham, Alabama. But even as a victim, I only wanted the guilty people to be punished. I would hope that if Nell Snow knew the whole truth she would also seek freedom for my brother. But with Mike Campbell being so close to the Snow family, and with him in a position to manipulate the law like he has, I seriously doubt Nell will ever really know what happened to her daughter. My brother was the only suspect. Therefore, everyone assumed he did the shooting. We all thought this even before the trial ever started - everyone the family, jury and newspapers just figured he did this. And, to make matters worse, Patrick didn't know because he was unconscious, so he couldn't say for sure. For that reason, he was willing to take responsibility.

My cousin, Mickey Johnson who is an attorney, told my mother and I how he was in the judge's chambers when the judge said the most they had was manslaughter. Mickey was going to represent Patrick at the trial but changed his mind at the last minute because he was worried that his own personal reputation might hurt Patrick. Mickey is also first cousin to Mike Campbell, the D.A. After Mickey changed his mind, our mother hired Dick Bell because she thought Dick and Patrick were friends, since they had worked together for two years. Patrick didn't know anything about the decision to hire Dick Bell until after all the fees had been paid, and my mother didn't know that Dick Bell was primarily a divorce attorney.

One thing I do know. Patrick didn't hunt them down like Mike Campbell said he did, and Patrick tried his best to get help as soon as he saw them shot. I know, because I was there when he asked for help. He was so shaken up over the shootings, he was white as a ghost, so much so that I swear, if someone had cut him with a knife that night, I bet he would not have even bled. He was in a daze and he stayed that way for a long while after he was arrested and before he was bonded out. Everyone ignored him when he said he'd been hit over the head with a baseball bat. I'll never understand why the police didn't send him to the hospital for examination to make sure he was all right.

If my brother shot Betty and Ronnie Pate, then it wasn't on purpose. And I think he has served more punishment already than was fair. But I have recently seen the State's forensic reports that say he wasn't the one who did the shooting, plus the police reports that are not accurate, so now I'm wondering what is going on. I'm told that the forensic reports were never shown during the trial [I don't know because I was not allowed to hear anything that went on at trial because of being subpoenaed]. But if these forensic reports were never shown to the jury, then this was far from a fair trial and it makes me think further that Mike Campbell had a lot to hide that I had not considered before because I didn't know about these things before. It also makes me feel certain that I was never called to testify just to keep me quiet.

Based on all of this, I ask you to do whatever is necessary to free my brother from prison once and for all. Free him without prejudice so he may not be called to trial again. After all he's gone through, he and our family deserve some peace for a change. We've all been in hell for 11 years for something my brother didn't do. Where's the justice in that?