Background: William was over 50 years old when he first met with Pastor Bill in Lynchburg Regional Jail. He had requested a clergy visit because he was having nightmares about the triple murder of his beloved brother and his wife and step daughter. The two men built a friendship and Pastor Bill drove William to the courthouse in Orange County Virginia and looked into the bizarre circumstances surrounding William's first arrest in the 1980's for the rape of a 76 year old Caucasian grandmother of one of his friends. William was high on on unknown drug that night and had no recollection of any of the events that fateful night. There was no evidence of rape at the scene nor was any forensic evidence found using a rape kit. Investigators allegedly found a single pubic hair on William's sweater that allegedly belonged to the grandmother who claimed to be the victim. William's attorney cut a deal with the Commonwealth for a 30 year sentence, 15 to serve, and 15 parole. Let's take a closer look.
William and a Triple Murder
By Bill Carico
In my role as clergy, inmates from the jail call for help and typically their needs are enormous. Such is the case with William, whom I visited for the first time on Friday afternoon, September 5, 2016, at the Lynchburg Adult Detention Center. I was already at the jail having clergy visits with several inmates, one named Alex who mentioned meeting William the night before. William and Alex happened to be having their one hour outside their cell at the same time but they were in separate pods. Inmates in isolation for 23 hours relish any human contact. Though Alex and William were two men who had never met, and had never even seen each other, they spent the better part of an hour exchanging life stories while talking through the closed metal door that separated their two pods, which has no window. While sitting in the visiting booth with Alex, I sensed his compassion and concern for William being so depressed. Alex was practically pleading with me to meet with William before I left the jail that day. I obliged, and a short time later I was meeting with William. Visits at the Lynchburg jail take place in visitation booths where people can see each other through clear, thick, Plexiglass while talking via a push button two-way intercom that is extremely low quality. William was very surprised to have a visitor, and was looking at me expectantly. I told him Alex sent me, and his face lit up. William is 52 and balding, 6 feet tall, and thin. As we spoke I learned he was battling a severe case of depression stemming from a triple murder of his brother, his brother’s wife and step-daughter. William went into considerable detail describing why and how the murders happened. During our visit, I explained that gratitude is the antidote to depression, and we talked at length about how to overcome depression.
The next day was Saturday, and I was at home when Katie called me from Amherst jail during the afternoon. During our conversation, the topic got around to my visit with William, and Katie stressed the importance, when dealing with tragedy, to understand that the evil and bad things done in the world result from acts of man, not God. The mere fact that God does not intervene to create a perfect world where everyone lives together in harmony, hope and abundance, merely means that God has given man free will. Evil flows from the acts of people who abuse their ability to choose. Only a few minutes after Katie's call, around 3:30 pm, William called from Lynchburg jail. I was excited to hear from him and looking forward to see what had happened.
I answered the phone, “Hello William.” “Hello Mr. Bill, how are you doing today? “I was supposed to call you this morning but they did not let me out of my cell’.
I reassure William that’s okay. I think how difficult it must be to be in solitary and sit alone in a cell 23 hours per day. Prisoners are supposed to be let out of their cell for an hour per day, at which time they can make phone calls if they have money on their books. In reality, most inmates don’t have money for phone time.
William is 50 years old and was incarcerated 7 months without parole over a domestic dispute where his girlfriend claimed he grabbed her by the throat. William denies the claim. William’s defense attorney, a Public Defender, encouraged William to take a plea bargain and receive one year total jail time, which William reluctantly agreed to. He’ll stay in jail another 5 months.
I reminded William he is likely exactly where God wants him to be right now, and William agreed. He told me this morning he has been ministering to others in segregation, where there are 12 cells in all. He can “cross the red line” and talk at someone’s door depending on which guard is on duty. It’s what I learned when William called me January 30, 2017, which was the last night of my Texas trip, and told me more about the triple murder.
I am sitting in my blue recliner in the living room at the lake house and am just about to turn in when William calls and asks if he’s calling too late. I assure him, “Not at all.” During the call, I ask if he would be comfortable telling me about the triple murder, and he does.
After our call, I look online, and find the news reports from 2011. (Caution: Skip the next paragraph if you are squeamish, it is very sad and gruesome.) I learn that 23-year-old Rashad Riddick was charged with three counts of capital murder in the shooting deaths of his aunt, uncle, and cousin, in Madison County, which is located about halfway between Lynchburg and Charlottesville. His 26-year-old cousin, Shante Davis, and her parents, James Clark Jackson, 55, and Karen Lee Jackson, 53, were found shot to death. The Sheriff of Madison County told the press, "It wasn't just a murder scene, It was the most violent criminal scene that I'd ever been at."
James Clark Jackson was William’s big brother. William was in Roanoke when he learned about the shooting. He told me Rashad Riddick was born out of wedlock, had grown up in Newport News, but had been in jail and just got out when he met Shante and was attracted to her. His affections were made known but Shante wasn’t interested. William said the day of the murders Rashad showed up with a sawed off shotgun, confronted Shante, shot her body to oblivion, then turned on her mother. His brother James was outside when he heard shots and screams coming from his house, and when he ran in Rashad blew half his head off. William continued, “All the caskets were closed at the funeral because the bodies couldn’t be viewed. While we were all gathered a dark spirit of anger and animosity was everywhere so I think there was more going on among some of the family members than I knew about. For years following the murders, people on our mother’s side of the family couldn’t sleep. We would have nightmares. Some nights, the spirit of my dead brother would appear to me, and appear also to my sister, and my niece. Many in the family received medication, and quite a few family members became afraid and angry and mad, and were pushing for the death penalty. It was four years after the murders that Rashad Riddick was found not-guilty by reason of insanity, and Judge Bouton committed him to spend the rest of his life in a state psychiatric hospital with no chance for appeal. The good part about the call was William telling me his vision to start a ministry to start a world-wide prayer, to get the whole world praying. He wants to initiate a global “climate change” in the spiritual realm. When he is released from jail, William will be starting his life over and will likely go to the rescue mission. William wants to work with me in ministry when he gets out, and he is longing to provide services to those less fortunate.
Sunday morning, February 5, 8:20 am, I receive a call from William who was still incarcerated at the Lynchburg Adult Detention Center. Ten minutes into our call, William tells me that 2 days ago, Friday, his lawyer came to see him.
Now I’m intrigued. Public defenders carry such heavy case-loads, jail visits are usually last minute events that take place right before trial. I knew something significant must have happened because William had his trial less than 3 weeks ago, and had called me the next day to tell me he had taken a plea deal for one year. I had already followed up with a call to William’s lawyer to ask him if that was a good outcome. The lawyer assured me it was a good deal.
William continues, “Mr. Carico, I wrote a letter to the judge asking to withdraw my guilty plea. I was forced to take the plea deal.
William pauses, and I can tell he is getting emotional. “Mr. Carico, I was railroaded into making the agreement.”
Judges don’t tolerate people going around their attorneys, so I asked, “Did you copy your attorney on the letter you sent the judge?”
William says, “Yes” and proceeds to fill me in on what happened in court. The charges against William were based on an accusation made by his girlfriend, that the night of August 16, 2016, she and William were alone in her apartment. They argued about something, she calls the police. When police arrive, she claims William choked her. Police arrested William and charged him with felony strangulation and assault and battery of a family member. William was incarcerated without bond and sat in jail for 5 months awaiting his January 17, 2017 trial. The Commonwealth never offered William a plea deal.
William entered an Alford plea, which says he totally maintains that he is innocent of the charge, but is unable to prove his innocence. When the long awaited trial begins, the Commonwealth’s Attorney calls his girlfriend to the stand, obviously not expecting what happens next. The girlfriend shocks everyone and testifies under oath, “He absolutely did not put his hands around my throat.”
Remember, up to this point, William had never been offered a plea deal, and now in the middle of this trial this amazing admission comes out. Understandably William is bursting with excitement. He is expecting his attorney to make a motion to dismiss the charges.
William can’t remember what happened next, whether the prosecutor called their next witness, the arresting police officer, or if the prosecutor asks for a recess. Regardless, at this point the judge calls a recess.
William’s defense attorney escorts him into a conference room next to the courtroom and informs him the Commonwealth is now offering a plea deal. For the Assault and Battery of a Family Member charge, it will be reduced to a misdemeanor and you get 60 days all suspended. For the felony strangulation charge, William will be sentenced to 5 years with 4 years suspended and 18 months supervised probation afterward after serving his time. Thus, if he pleads guilty to the charge, he will only have to serve another 6 or 7 months. The attorney advises William to take the deal. An argument ensues because William tells his attorney that he absolutely does not want to admit to something he didn’t do. William said, “I told him I didn’t want to sign, didn’t want to sign, didn’t want to sign, but he kept on, kept on, kept on and was coercing me to sign. I said ‘but we won’ and he kept saying ‘sign this, sign this’ and I said ‘I don’t want to sign and I don’t care if they give me 12 years.’
At that point, Mr. Carico, I didn’t really know what to do, so I put a mark on the paper. I didn’t sign my name, just made a mark on the paper in protest. So that’s why I wrote the judge, to tell him this was something I didn’t want to do, because I’m not guilty. I don’t want to spend another 6 months in jail and then be on probation for a year and a half for something I didn’t do.’
I asked William why he didn’t explain that to the judge during court, and he admitted he was so confused that he really had no idea what would have been the best way to handle it.
I noted the irony of what William had just said, because, after all, that’s why you have legal counsel in the first place, so you know what’s the best thing to do.
I asked William for the name of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, he said he didn’t remember but it was a female who is new, and he said, “I think she’s trying to make a name for herself.”
Then I told William I had recently been informed about a landmark U S Supreme Court ruling from March of 2012, prohibiting defense attorneys from coercing their clients to take plea bargains. I promised to mail him more information about it. He said, “When the attorney came to visit me Friday, after I wrote the judge, he admitted my girlfriend had lied. But said if we go back to court she might recant her testimony. I told him I didn’t care about that because now it was all on tape… her admitting she lied.”
William said his lawyer had nothing new to offer at the Friday meeting, so William said he was not going to give in. William described his lawyer’s face as being “as red as a beet” when he left. William also told me that in his letter to the judge, he also pointed out the time he has already served for these false charges have caused him to lose his residence, his job, his entire way of life. Whenever the Commonwealth decides to release him he will have nothing to his name and, since the Commonwealth has nothing to offer to help get back on his feet, he is being set up to fail.
William is right. The absurdity of his situation is that the Commonwealth of Virginia has paid over $50000 to punish William on this false charge just to keep him incarcerated.
On Monday, I mail William the information I had promised to send, along with an article from a legal aid website on when and how to fire your attorney. Friday night he calls and I ask if he had received my letter.
“Yes I did. Actually, he came to see me yesterday to tell me that he has filed a motion that he hopes the Judge will hold a hearing on next week.”
I ask, “Did your lawyer file a motion to get you a new lawyer, or to withdraw your guilty plea?”
William said, “I don’t really know.”
I continue, “It’s probably a motion to withdraw your plea, which means you will resume your trial. If that happens, you should expect the Commonwealth be angry and the prosecutor will try to punish you for not taking the plea deal.
You see, William, once you were charged, winning became more important to all who represent the Commonwealth, than whether you’re innocent or not. That’s why you were offered a plea deal rather than the Commonwealth dropping their case.”
I would be very pleased if I were completely wrong, but it’s naïve for anyone to confuse criminal justice with anything noble. The courtroom is where attorneys play high stakes poker with people’s lives, and it’s all about winning.”
If William was granted a new trial, I predicted the outcome would come down to the testimony of the arresting officer. I told him, “The Commonwealth Attorney will try to discredit your girlfriend’s testimony, saying she merely had a change of heart and is now lying about what really happened that night to keep you from going to prison. If this officer has filed a false report, or if he thinks you’re guilty, you could be convicted and get a worse sentence than you have now. I predict the judge will be inclined to believe anything the police officer says over anything you have to say.”
I reminded William there is no need to worry because God has complete control over his life, as well as all those who are in authority. Then I challenged him, “William, remain open to the possibility that God’s perfect will may be for you to minister to people from inside the prison. If so, the fact that you are innocent may take a back seat if God’s plan is to allow you to be wrongfully convicted.” Then I told William about Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life, the final two years of which were spent incarcerated in a Gestapo prison, ministering to those who Hitler considered to be Germany’s most dangerous enemies. Hitler ordered Bonhoeffer to be executed by hanging, which was one of last acts of evil Hitler carried out before taking his own life. Bonhoeffer is one of the most Godly people I have ever read about whose story of courage and unwavering faith has inspired, and continues to impact, millions of people.
As we wrapped up our phone conversation, I said to William, “Katie is innocent and God allowed her to be sent to prison. It’s because of that injustice, that you and I are talking right now. The week before Katie was arrested, I was reading about Bonhoeffer’s ministry at the prison. He was regularly tortured by the Gestapo and reasoned, ‘God must want me to learn something from all of this,’ so his attitude regarding the torture, was, ‘Bring it on.’
Lastly, I tell William it was Thursday, September 11, 2014, that I was reading about Bonhoeffer’s awe-inspiring faith, and it made me wonder about the strength of my own faith. I questioned if I would be strong enough to endure similar circumstances.
Katie was arrested the following Monday, September 15, 2014.
William decided to go with the plea offer rather than risk more time in jail. The deal allowed him to be released a few months later, and go on parole for a year.
He was released, with nothing to his name, and probation put him into a boarding house where drug dealing was prominent. It was a most tempting place to get back into drugs, and ridiculous to put a newly released offender there and expect them to resist the temptations. He worked odd jobs for me and for others, but alcohol remained his nemesis. He rented a room for a single lady who eventually turned on him when he denied her romantic advances. He moved back to Roanoke and tried to register with the state police as a sexual offender, but they kept putting him off. He found a lady in Roanoke who took him in.
Then Lynchburg parole violated him and put him back in jail to serve out the 7 months remaining on his parole. He was released in May of 2019 and was homeless in Roanoke, and got into an alcohol rehab program for a week. Since he's not on parole he can't be violated and as long as he avoids arrest he should stay out of jail. He worked odd jobs for me and we tried to find steady work. William rides the city bus as his main mode of transportation, and I gave him a bicycle to use for shorter jaunts. He had trouble again trying to register with the state police as sex offender, as they only see people on certain days and it can take hours of waiting for them to process a request.
It cost Va taxpayers about $40,000 to incarcerate William his last 7 month stint in Lynchburg jail. Considering all of the jail time William has amassed, Va taxpayers have spend over a million dollars keeping him incarcerated for about 20 years collectively in all the jails and prisons where he has lived as an inmate.
William and a Triple Murder
By Bill Carico
In my role as clergy, inmates from the jail call for help and typically their needs are enormous. Such is the case with William, whom I visited for the first time on Friday afternoon, September 5, 2016, at the Lynchburg Adult Detention Center. I was already at the jail having clergy visits with several inmates, one named Alex who mentioned meeting William the night before. William and Alex happened to be having their one hour outside their cell at the same time but they were in separate pods. Inmates in isolation for 23 hours relish any human contact. Though Alex and William were two men who had never met, and had never even seen each other, they spent the better part of an hour exchanging life stories while talking through the closed metal door that separated their two pods, which has no window. While sitting in the visiting booth with Alex, I sensed his compassion and concern for William being so depressed. Alex was practically pleading with me to meet with William before I left the jail that day. I obliged, and a short time later I was meeting with William. Visits at the Lynchburg jail take place in visitation booths where people can see each other through clear, thick, Plexiglass while talking via a push button two-way intercom that is extremely low quality. William was very surprised to have a visitor, and was looking at me expectantly. I told him Alex sent me, and his face lit up. William is 52 and balding, 6 feet tall, and thin. As we spoke I learned he was battling a severe case of depression stemming from a triple murder of his brother, his brother’s wife and step-daughter. William went into considerable detail describing why and how the murders happened. During our visit, I explained that gratitude is the antidote to depression, and we talked at length about how to overcome depression.
The next day was Saturday, and I was at home when Katie called me from Amherst jail during the afternoon. During our conversation, the topic got around to my visit with William, and Katie stressed the importance, when dealing with tragedy, to understand that the evil and bad things done in the world result from acts of man, not God. The mere fact that God does not intervene to create a perfect world where everyone lives together in harmony, hope and abundance, merely means that God has given man free will. Evil flows from the acts of people who abuse their ability to choose. Only a few minutes after Katie's call, around 3:30 pm, William called from Lynchburg jail. I was excited to hear from him and looking forward to see what had happened.
I answered the phone, “Hello William.” “Hello Mr. Bill, how are you doing today? “I was supposed to call you this morning but they did not let me out of my cell’.
I reassure William that’s okay. I think how difficult it must be to be in solitary and sit alone in a cell 23 hours per day. Prisoners are supposed to be let out of their cell for an hour per day, at which time they can make phone calls if they have money on their books. In reality, most inmates don’t have money for phone time.
William is 50 years old and was incarcerated 7 months without parole over a domestic dispute where his girlfriend claimed he grabbed her by the throat. William denies the claim. William’s defense attorney, a Public Defender, encouraged William to take a plea bargain and receive one year total jail time, which William reluctantly agreed to. He’ll stay in jail another 5 months.
I reminded William he is likely exactly where God wants him to be right now, and William agreed. He told me this morning he has been ministering to others in segregation, where there are 12 cells in all. He can “cross the red line” and talk at someone’s door depending on which guard is on duty. It’s what I learned when William called me January 30, 2017, which was the last night of my Texas trip, and told me more about the triple murder.
I am sitting in my blue recliner in the living room at the lake house and am just about to turn in when William calls and asks if he’s calling too late. I assure him, “Not at all.” During the call, I ask if he would be comfortable telling me about the triple murder, and he does.
After our call, I look online, and find the news reports from 2011. (Caution: Skip the next paragraph if you are squeamish, it is very sad and gruesome.) I learn that 23-year-old Rashad Riddick was charged with three counts of capital murder in the shooting deaths of his aunt, uncle, and cousin, in Madison County, which is located about halfway between Lynchburg and Charlottesville. His 26-year-old cousin, Shante Davis, and her parents, James Clark Jackson, 55, and Karen Lee Jackson, 53, were found shot to death. The Sheriff of Madison County told the press, "It wasn't just a murder scene, It was the most violent criminal scene that I'd ever been at."
James Clark Jackson was William’s big brother. William was in Roanoke when he learned about the shooting. He told me Rashad Riddick was born out of wedlock, had grown up in Newport News, but had been in jail and just got out when he met Shante and was attracted to her. His affections were made known but Shante wasn’t interested. William said the day of the murders Rashad showed up with a sawed off shotgun, confronted Shante, shot her body to oblivion, then turned on her mother. His brother James was outside when he heard shots and screams coming from his house, and when he ran in Rashad blew half his head off. William continued, “All the caskets were closed at the funeral because the bodies couldn’t be viewed. While we were all gathered a dark spirit of anger and animosity was everywhere so I think there was more going on among some of the family members than I knew about. For years following the murders, people on our mother’s side of the family couldn’t sleep. We would have nightmares. Some nights, the spirit of my dead brother would appear to me, and appear also to my sister, and my niece. Many in the family received medication, and quite a few family members became afraid and angry and mad, and were pushing for the death penalty. It was four years after the murders that Rashad Riddick was found not-guilty by reason of insanity, and Judge Bouton committed him to spend the rest of his life in a state psychiatric hospital with no chance for appeal. The good part about the call was William telling me his vision to start a ministry to start a world-wide prayer, to get the whole world praying. He wants to initiate a global “climate change” in the spiritual realm. When he is released from jail, William will be starting his life over and will likely go to the rescue mission. William wants to work with me in ministry when he gets out, and he is longing to provide services to those less fortunate.
Sunday morning, February 5, 8:20 am, I receive a call from William who was still incarcerated at the Lynchburg Adult Detention Center. Ten minutes into our call, William tells me that 2 days ago, Friday, his lawyer came to see him.
Now I’m intrigued. Public defenders carry such heavy case-loads, jail visits are usually last minute events that take place right before trial. I knew something significant must have happened because William had his trial less than 3 weeks ago, and had called me the next day to tell me he had taken a plea deal for one year. I had already followed up with a call to William’s lawyer to ask him if that was a good outcome. The lawyer assured me it was a good deal.
William continues, “Mr. Carico, I wrote a letter to the judge asking to withdraw my guilty plea. I was forced to take the plea deal.
William pauses, and I can tell he is getting emotional. “Mr. Carico, I was railroaded into making the agreement.”
Judges don’t tolerate people going around their attorneys, so I asked, “Did you copy your attorney on the letter you sent the judge?”
William says, “Yes” and proceeds to fill me in on what happened in court. The charges against William were based on an accusation made by his girlfriend, that the night of August 16, 2016, she and William were alone in her apartment. They argued about something, she calls the police. When police arrive, she claims William choked her. Police arrested William and charged him with felony strangulation and assault and battery of a family member. William was incarcerated without bond and sat in jail for 5 months awaiting his January 17, 2017 trial. The Commonwealth never offered William a plea deal.
William entered an Alford plea, which says he totally maintains that he is innocent of the charge, but is unable to prove his innocence. When the long awaited trial begins, the Commonwealth’s Attorney calls his girlfriend to the stand, obviously not expecting what happens next. The girlfriend shocks everyone and testifies under oath, “He absolutely did not put his hands around my throat.”
Remember, up to this point, William had never been offered a plea deal, and now in the middle of this trial this amazing admission comes out. Understandably William is bursting with excitement. He is expecting his attorney to make a motion to dismiss the charges.
William can’t remember what happened next, whether the prosecutor called their next witness, the arresting police officer, or if the prosecutor asks for a recess. Regardless, at this point the judge calls a recess.
William’s defense attorney escorts him into a conference room next to the courtroom and informs him the Commonwealth is now offering a plea deal. For the Assault and Battery of a Family Member charge, it will be reduced to a misdemeanor and you get 60 days all suspended. For the felony strangulation charge, William will be sentenced to 5 years with 4 years suspended and 18 months supervised probation afterward after serving his time. Thus, if he pleads guilty to the charge, he will only have to serve another 6 or 7 months. The attorney advises William to take the deal. An argument ensues because William tells his attorney that he absolutely does not want to admit to something he didn’t do. William said, “I told him I didn’t want to sign, didn’t want to sign, didn’t want to sign, but he kept on, kept on, kept on and was coercing me to sign. I said ‘but we won’ and he kept saying ‘sign this, sign this’ and I said ‘I don’t want to sign and I don’t care if they give me 12 years.’
At that point, Mr. Carico, I didn’t really know what to do, so I put a mark on the paper. I didn’t sign my name, just made a mark on the paper in protest. So that’s why I wrote the judge, to tell him this was something I didn’t want to do, because I’m not guilty. I don’t want to spend another 6 months in jail and then be on probation for a year and a half for something I didn’t do.’
I asked William why he didn’t explain that to the judge during court, and he admitted he was so confused that he really had no idea what would have been the best way to handle it.
I noted the irony of what William had just said, because, after all, that’s why you have legal counsel in the first place, so you know what’s the best thing to do.
I asked William for the name of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, he said he didn’t remember but it was a female who is new, and he said, “I think she’s trying to make a name for herself.”
Then I told William I had recently been informed about a landmark U S Supreme Court ruling from March of 2012, prohibiting defense attorneys from coercing their clients to take plea bargains. I promised to mail him more information about it. He said, “When the attorney came to visit me Friday, after I wrote the judge, he admitted my girlfriend had lied. But said if we go back to court she might recant her testimony. I told him I didn’t care about that because now it was all on tape… her admitting she lied.”
William said his lawyer had nothing new to offer at the Friday meeting, so William said he was not going to give in. William described his lawyer’s face as being “as red as a beet” when he left. William also told me that in his letter to the judge, he also pointed out the time he has already served for these false charges have caused him to lose his residence, his job, his entire way of life. Whenever the Commonwealth decides to release him he will have nothing to his name and, since the Commonwealth has nothing to offer to help get back on his feet, he is being set up to fail.
William is right. The absurdity of his situation is that the Commonwealth of Virginia has paid over $50000 to punish William on this false charge just to keep him incarcerated.
On Monday, I mail William the information I had promised to send, along with an article from a legal aid website on when and how to fire your attorney. Friday night he calls and I ask if he had received my letter.
“Yes I did. Actually, he came to see me yesterday to tell me that he has filed a motion that he hopes the Judge will hold a hearing on next week.”
I ask, “Did your lawyer file a motion to get you a new lawyer, or to withdraw your guilty plea?”
William said, “I don’t really know.”
I continue, “It’s probably a motion to withdraw your plea, which means you will resume your trial. If that happens, you should expect the Commonwealth be angry and the prosecutor will try to punish you for not taking the plea deal.
You see, William, once you were charged, winning became more important to all who represent the Commonwealth, than whether you’re innocent or not. That’s why you were offered a plea deal rather than the Commonwealth dropping their case.”
I would be very pleased if I were completely wrong, but it’s naïve for anyone to confuse criminal justice with anything noble. The courtroom is where attorneys play high stakes poker with people’s lives, and it’s all about winning.”
If William was granted a new trial, I predicted the outcome would come down to the testimony of the arresting officer. I told him, “The Commonwealth Attorney will try to discredit your girlfriend’s testimony, saying she merely had a change of heart and is now lying about what really happened that night to keep you from going to prison. If this officer has filed a false report, or if he thinks you’re guilty, you could be convicted and get a worse sentence than you have now. I predict the judge will be inclined to believe anything the police officer says over anything you have to say.”
I reminded William there is no need to worry because God has complete control over his life, as well as all those who are in authority. Then I challenged him, “William, remain open to the possibility that God’s perfect will may be for you to minister to people from inside the prison. If so, the fact that you are innocent may take a back seat if God’s plan is to allow you to be wrongfully convicted.” Then I told William about Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life, the final two years of which were spent incarcerated in a Gestapo prison, ministering to those who Hitler considered to be Germany’s most dangerous enemies. Hitler ordered Bonhoeffer to be executed by hanging, which was one of last acts of evil Hitler carried out before taking his own life. Bonhoeffer is one of the most Godly people I have ever read about whose story of courage and unwavering faith has inspired, and continues to impact, millions of people.
As we wrapped up our phone conversation, I said to William, “Katie is innocent and God allowed her to be sent to prison. It’s because of that injustice, that you and I are talking right now. The week before Katie was arrested, I was reading about Bonhoeffer’s ministry at the prison. He was regularly tortured by the Gestapo and reasoned, ‘God must want me to learn something from all of this,’ so his attitude regarding the torture, was, ‘Bring it on.’
Lastly, I tell William it was Thursday, September 11, 2014, that I was reading about Bonhoeffer’s awe-inspiring faith, and it made me wonder about the strength of my own faith. I questioned if I would be strong enough to endure similar circumstances.
Katie was arrested the following Monday, September 15, 2014.
William decided to go with the plea offer rather than risk more time in jail. The deal allowed him to be released a few months later, and go on parole for a year.
He was released, with nothing to his name, and probation put him into a boarding house where drug dealing was prominent. It was a most tempting place to get back into drugs, and ridiculous to put a newly released offender there and expect them to resist the temptations. He worked odd jobs for me and for others, but alcohol remained his nemesis. He rented a room for a single lady who eventually turned on him when he denied her romantic advances. He moved back to Roanoke and tried to register with the state police as a sexual offender, but they kept putting him off. He found a lady in Roanoke who took him in.
Then Lynchburg parole violated him and put him back in jail to serve out the 7 months remaining on his parole. He was released in May of 2019 and was homeless in Roanoke, and got into an alcohol rehab program for a week. Since he's not on parole he can't be violated and as long as he avoids arrest he should stay out of jail. He worked odd jobs for me and we tried to find steady work. William rides the city bus as his main mode of transportation, and I gave him a bicycle to use for shorter jaunts. He had trouble again trying to register with the state police as sex offender, as they only see people on certain days and it can take hours of waiting for them to process a request.
It cost Va taxpayers about $40,000 to incarcerate William his last 7 month stint in Lynchburg jail. Considering all of the jail time William has amassed, Va taxpayers have spend over a million dollars keeping him incarcerated for about 20 years collectively in all the jails and prisons where he has lived as an inmate.