Now let me go to the amazing woman i met next. Third woman i wrote, Shawna Forde, wrote me back very quickly. I would say in less than 1 week. She started her letter off with a, "what a pleasant surprise to get your letter". She was thrilled i actually had taken time to review her case thoroughly, instead of asking, "why are you on death row?"
A friendship and bond formed very quickly. About 6 months into conversing with Shawna i proposed to make her her own page on facebook. Her website was not up to date and i felt it was important to give this lady a voice and get her info out there. I thought there was way too many inconsistencies in her case and some just plain old BS. I had learned from the Darlie Routier case everything is not as it looks at first glance with these cases. If you just read the state's case or watch some silly show like "Deadly women" sure they look guilty. But after studying facts and the defense's case and actually talking to the person and getting their side of what happened, and sometimes their families side.....boy does a clearer picture begin to take shape.
Don't they all proclaim their innocence? Well no, that's just not true. Many of the women i write to absolutely say they did the crime. I do not post info of even 1/2 the women i write to because i do not have their permission to do so. But several do not even try to claim innocence. All will tell me however, the state has lied to make them look much worse than they actually were or are. This i believe. Dont they all lie? Well the state's and prisons sure would like you all to believe that. I think if we are all honest we all have told a few lies in our lifetimes. So, technically i guess we are all liars? Even a known liar tell the truth usually....unless perhaps they are of Casey Anthony proportion. I believe even Casey spoke the truth at times though. With the alarming numbers of people being released off death row and out of prisons for wrongful convictions, i think a prudent person would and should listen to inmate's tales of innocence and take a good look at their cases! Prosecutor's do lie and withhold evidence as do the police. Why? I'm hoping it's largely because they believe they got the right person and are ensuring a victory, but i doubt that's really it most of the time. I think many are just plain corrupt!
Shawna was thrilled anyone was willing to make her a page and keep posting on it! I think a glimmer of hope sparkled for the first time in a long dreary time. Not that i am the only one doing anything for her but because the page represented a whole new audience to hear her story, read up and see what had happened and realize they got the wrong person! Shawna's a very vocal and social person and has alot to say, this represented a way to get all that out without a person wanting, asking, or demanding anything from her. And not someone who would flake off in a few weeks or months. Shawna refers to me as "a gift from heaven". Well i don't know about all that, i did not come from heaven, but i was sent to her by God. Her and other women on death row and in prisons.
Shawna began calling me a little after a year had gone by. It was like long lost best friends chatting away. Pity the 15 mins has to go so fast! She always sounds so very vibrant and full of life. Such a contrast to being in a hell hole call death row. One thing the state of AZ cannot take from her is her sense of humor. She never fails to have me laughing hardily whether by letter or by phone. I think it's amazing to be sitting on death row and still be able to have that. I am so glad i got the chance to walk into this very lively and spirited woman's world.
I will not go into parts of Shawna's case and i will not go into any of it with great detail because of upcoming appeals. But i will tell you, her case will explode and when it does, many people will be eating a lot of crow. And looking very bad. AZ has had to reverse more than a couple of death row sentences because of their corrupt politics. It should be no big surprise to anyone really.
A friendship and bond formed very quickly. About 6 months into conversing with Shawna i proposed to make her her own page on facebook. Her website was not up to date and i felt it was important to give this lady a voice and get her info out there. I thought there was way too many inconsistencies in her case and some just plain old BS. I had learned from the Darlie Routier case everything is not as it looks at first glance with these cases. If you just read the state's case or watch some silly show like "Deadly women" sure they look guilty. But after studying facts and the defense's case and actually talking to the person and getting their side of what happened, and sometimes their families side.....boy does a clearer picture begin to take shape.
Don't they all proclaim their innocence? Well no, that's just not true. Many of the women i write to absolutely say they did the crime. I do not post info of even 1/2 the women i write to because i do not have their permission to do so. But several do not even try to claim innocence. All will tell me however, the state has lied to make them look much worse than they actually were or are. This i believe. Dont they all lie? Well the state's and prisons sure would like you all to believe that. I think if we are all honest we all have told a few lies in our lifetimes. So, technically i guess we are all liars? Even a known liar tell the truth usually....unless perhaps they are of Casey Anthony proportion. I believe even Casey spoke the truth at times though. With the alarming numbers of people being released off death row and out of prisons for wrongful convictions, i think a prudent person would and should listen to inmate's tales of innocence and take a good look at their cases! Prosecutor's do lie and withhold evidence as do the police. Why? I'm hoping it's largely because they believe they got the right person and are ensuring a victory, but i doubt that's really it most of the time. I think many are just plain corrupt!
Shawna was thrilled anyone was willing to make her a page and keep posting on it! I think a glimmer of hope sparkled for the first time in a long dreary time. Not that i am the only one doing anything for her but because the page represented a whole new audience to hear her story, read up and see what had happened and realize they got the wrong person! Shawna's a very vocal and social person and has alot to say, this represented a way to get all that out without a person wanting, asking, or demanding anything from her. And not someone who would flake off in a few weeks or months. Shawna refers to me as "a gift from heaven". Well i don't know about all that, i did not come from heaven, but i was sent to her by God. Her and other women on death row and in prisons.
Shawna began calling me a little after a year had gone by. It was like long lost best friends chatting away. Pity the 15 mins has to go so fast! She always sounds so very vibrant and full of life. Such a contrast to being in a hell hole call death row. One thing the state of AZ cannot take from her is her sense of humor. She never fails to have me laughing hardily whether by letter or by phone. I think it's amazing to be sitting on death row and still be able to have that. I am so glad i got the chance to walk into this very lively and spirited woman's world.
I will not go into parts of Shawna's case and i will not go into any of it with great detail because of upcoming appeals. But i will tell you, her case will explode and when it does, many people will be eating a lot of crow. And looking very bad. AZ has had to reverse more than a couple of death row sentences because of their corrupt politics. It should be no big surprise to anyone really.
