Petition update posted on Change.org: Wow! We hit 30,000 this morning! Your support means the world to all of us. We thought we’d share a video outlining some of the new evidence that the state continues to ignore. All of the evidence in this video was discovered after the conviction. And much of it through Freedom of Information requests by supporters. You’ll also get to see State’s Attorney Jason Chambers response in 2011 and in 2014. Please keep signing and sharing. It makes a difference!
As previously reported, a petition was recently launched asking McLean County State’s Attorney Jason Chambers to allow DNA testing in the Jamie Snow case, in Illinois. The petition, which was launched by Injustice Anywhere on Change.org, has people asking the simple question: “Why not test the DNA?”
Jason Chambers, has now shown that he is well aware of those questioning his decisions on the Snow case, by taking to Facebook to state his position. On March 12, a McLean County citizen (who happens to be Facebook friends with Jason Chambers) signed and shared the Change.org petition for Snow. Chambers decided to respond – not to the petition’s organizers – but to his friend’s public post on Facebook.
The Facebook posts by Chambers have led to an online debate about Snow’s case. Jamie Snow has responded to some of the comments posted in that discussion. Whether you support him, or are against him, Snow’s well reasoned response is well worth a listen.
A petition was recently launched asking McLean County State’s Attorney Jason Chambers to allow DNA testing in the Jamie Snow case, in Illinois. The petition, which was launched by Injustice Anywhere on Change.org, has people asking the simple question: “Why not test the DNA?”
Jamie Snow was convicted in 2000, of a 1991 “cold case” murder and armed robbery of a gas station attendant in Bloomington, Illinois. Snow has proclaimed his innocence from the start and has remained hopeful that new technology can now work to prove his innocence. Unfortunately, DNA evidence continues to go untested in his case. Snow has been asking for DNA testing for years. Yet the State has used every excuse in the book NOT to test the DNA, even though not one shred of physical evidence has ever linked Snow to the crime.
Snow is being represented by the University of Chicago’s Exoneration Project, who has agreed to pay for all testing at an independent lab. If all costs are completely covered, why in the world does the McLean County State’s Attorney Office oppose the tests? Furthermore, why do they continue to use TAX PAYER DOLLARS to fight against DNA testing which will cost the State nothing and may very well lead to the truth?
Jason Chambers, has shown that he is well aware of those questioning his decisions on the Snow case, and he has taken to Facebook to state his position. On March 12, a McLean County citizen (who happens to be Facebook friends with Jason Chambers) signed and shared the Change.org petition for Snow. Chambers decided to respond – not to the petition’s organizers – but to his friend’s public post on Facebook. Read More »
NBC Channel 3 (KSNV-TV) in Las Vegas broadcast “Death in the Desert” during its 11 o’clock news on February 29, 2016. Reporter Marie Mortera’s story was about the Kirstin Blaise Lobato case. Ms. Lobato was convicted in October 2006 of charges related to the July 8, 2001 homicide of Duran Bailey in the trash enclosure for a west Las Vegas bank. Ms. Lobato asserts she is factually innocent, in her habeas corpus petition that is being reviewed by the Nevada Supreme Court. There are many gravely serious problems with Mortera’s story. Read More »
COLUMBIA — Twelve years ago Thursday, Charles Erickson told police that he and Ryan Ferguson were responsible for the death of Columbia Daily Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt, who was found beaten and strangled in the newspaper’s parking lot in the early hours of Nov. 1, 2001.
Now — after 12 years of incarceration, three recantations and the release of Ferguson from prison — Erickson will set out on the only remaining route to get out of prison before the end of his 25-year sentence or a parole date.
Erickson’s Columbia-based attorney, Gary Brotherton, said he will file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in Pike County Circuit Court in the next few months. The petition will make the case that Erickson is being held illegally because he is innocent and because there were multiple instances of prosecutorial misconduct during the investigation. Among other claims, Brotherton said the petition will challenge the techniques used by Columbia police to interview Erickson and obtain his confession in 2004.
Erickson pleaded guilty in November 2004 to second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and armed criminal action in exchange for a reduced sentence, contingent on his testimony against Ferguson.
“I feel like my due process rights were violated,” Erickson said Wednesday in a phone interview. “Like every other citizen, I have the same rights. I’d like to have my day in court.” Read More »
Rodney Lincoln has a hearing on March 14, and his supporters plan to pack the courthouse to show support for Rodney. Because it is a status hearing, Rodney will not be present, but supporters feel it is vital for the State and the judge to see the large amount of support that Rodney receives. They are asking all who support Rodney to come out to show their support at the hearing.
It is no surprise that Rodney has a large and continuously growing group of supporters, as it is now clear that he has spent over 30 years of his life in prison as an innocent man. Rodney is currently serving two life sentences for the murder of JoAnn Tate and the assault of Tate’s two young daughters in April of 1982 in St. Louis, Missouri. Evidence shows that Rodney was wrongfully convicted based on a hair found at the crime scene that was wrongly attributed to him and a questionable line-up conducted by police. The victim who was shown the faulty line-up has now recanted her ID that ultimately put Rodney in prison. There is currently no evidence at all to support Rodney Lincoln’s conviction.
Rodney’s supporters have set up an event page on Facebook which provides details of the hearing.
Location: Cole County Courthouse, 301 E High St, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101
Injustice Anywhere supports Justice For Illinois’ Wrongfully Convicted (JIWC).The Purpose of Justice for Illinois’ Wrongfully Convicted is to serve and educate the public about the criminal justice system in Illinois and to aid and assist persons who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes in the State of Illinois in achieving a just outcome.
What JIWC does:
Educate the general public about junk science, faulty eye witness identification, prosecutorial overreaching, police misconduct, media distortions, and unfair criminal justice practices;
Advocate for families and supporters of the wrongfully convicted to overturn wrongful convictions;
Provide resources for community groups that seek to support low income individuals who are wrongfully convicted of criminal conduct;
In a shocking decision, a judge has ruled that Pam Hupp will be allowed to keep the life insurance money she collected after Betsy Faria’s murder in 2011. Betsy’s daughters, Leah and Mariah Day, filed a lawsuit in April of 2014 claiming Hupp defrauded them out of $150,000 in life insurance. As a result of the ruling, along with losing their mother’s life insurance, the two daughters have been ordered to pay over $2500 in attorney’s fees which resulted from the civil trail.
In an odd series of events, Betsy Faria, who at the time was terminally ill with cancer, signed over a life insurance policy to Pam Hupp, just four days before Betsy was found murdered in her home. Her husband, Russ Faria was charged and wrongfully convicted of Betsy’s murder in 2013. Faria appealed his conviction and was exonerated in 2015.
Pam Hupp made herself available to investigators immediately after Betsy Faria’s murder, making it well known to anyone who would listen that she was a longtime friend of the murder victim. According to Hupp, the Farias had a rocky relationship, claiming that Betsy confided with her that her husband had been abusive. Hupp described a “death game,” where Russ Faria placed a pillow over his wife’s face to show her how it would feel to die. Hupp’s farcical claims have never been supported by anyone else in Betsy Faria’s life.
Hupp’s actions shortly before Betsy’s murder were questionable. Hupp showed up at Betsy’s chemotherapy treatment on the day of the murder insisting that she drive Betsy home. When Betsy assured her she already had a ride to her mother’s home, Hupp left only to show up later in the day at Betsy’s mother’s home, once again insisting that she drive Betsy home. Betsy accepted the ride on Hupp’s second attempt, making Hupp the last person to see Betsy Faria alive. Oddly, Hupp was never considered a suspect by police. Her willingness to talk early on caused her to be viewed as a friend who was just trying to help the investigation.
Hupp has changed her story repeatedly over the years. When first asked why Betsy Faria abruptly changed the beneficiary on her life insurance policy, Hupp claimed that Betsy wanted to make sure her grown daughters received the life insurance payout and she did not trust her husband with the money.
In an act of pure deception designed to fool the court, Hupp set up a trust for Betsy’s daughters so it would appear that she was doing what was right. As a result, the court viewed Hupp favorably during Russ Faria’s first trial. Hupp went on to revoke the trust shortly after Faria’s conviction so that she could keep the money for herself.
During the civil trial in 2014, Hupp changed her story drastically, stating that Betsy wanted her to keep the money for herself. She cited memory problems for her change of story. She told the court that her loss of memory was due to a traumatic brain injury and concussion syndrome. She provided no proof of her condition. When her husband was questioned in court about his wife’s medical status, he stated that her only ailment was a back injury.
During the civil trial, Betsy’s daughters’ attorney Chris Roberts, told Fox2 News St. Louis that “they couldn`t keep track of how many times Hupp changed her story, including one time when she told Betsy`s family she gave all of the money to charity.”
How is it possible for a judge to rule in favor of a serial liar like Hupp? In Thursday’s ruling, Judge Ted House stated: “It is not possible from this limited evidence to determine with any specificity what Betsy’s intent was regarding the insurance proceeds, other than that stated on the beneficiary form.” House went on to say that Hupp could still give the money to Betsy’s daughters.
Pam Hupp claims that Betsy Faria was her friend. Those who are currently part of Pam Hupp’s life should stop and ask themselves why Pam would want to take life insurance money from the children of a woman who she claimed was a dear friend. How could anyone with a conscience take like insurance money away from two young women grieving the death of their mother?
There is no doubt that Pam Hupp should do what is right and give the life insurance money to Betsy’s daughters. Of course, there is little hope that Hupp will do what is right, as she has shown no interest in doing so to date.
Hupp told FOX2 News St. Louis on Thursday that she did not consider the ruling a victory, and that she feels bad for Betsy’s girls. I guess Hupp feels bad, just not bad enough to give the daughters their mother’s life insurance money. Who on earth would want to associate with a person who is capable of such evil? Only those who choose to continue to stand by Pam Hupp can provide an answer to that question.
Injustice Anywhere has launched a petition asking McLean County State’s Attorney Jason Chambers to allow DNA testing in the Jamie Snow case.
Jamie Snow was wrongfully convicted in 2000, of a 1991 “cold case” murder and armed robbery of a gas station attendant in Bloomington, Illinois. Snow is an innocent man who remains in prison while DNA evidence goes untested in his case, even though not one shred of physical evidence has ever linked Snow to the crime.
For nearly 8 years the McLean County State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO) has fought DNA testing in this case, despite the fact that the University of Chicago’s Exoneration Project has agreed to pay for ALL DNA testing at NO COST to McLean County tax payers. The petition simply asks Jason Chambers to allow the Exoneration Project to pay for the DNA testing. There is absolutely no logical reason for Chambers to continue blocking the tests. There is no doubt that if this crime had occurred today, that the state would test every single piece of physical evidence collected from the crime scene.
The Injustice Anywhere petition provides detailed information about the Jamie Snow case and also includes an audio message from Snow. Please take a moment to read the petition and listen to Snow’s audio recording. You can click on this link to view the petition: Support DNA Testing for Jamie Snow
By Hans Sherrer
