GAINESVILLE, Ga – Missing and endangered, Maria Gomez Perez, 12-years-old, was last seen around 10:00 a.m. on May 29, 2024 at her Gainesville home on West Side Drive off Pearl Parkway. Sherriff Gerald Couch of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office believes it’s possible that she may have come in contact with someone to leave that day from her house. “Identifying that person,” says Couch, “and trying to find who they are and where they went, there’s the key” to breaking open this case.

Maria is 5’3” and weighs around 100 – 110 lbs. She has brown eyes and long black hair. It is believed that she was wearing a blue shirt when she went missing but no other details are available on her clothing. Originally from Guatemala, Maria is Spanish Speaking.

Sheriff Couch held a news conference on June 11, 2024 to update the community on the status of the case and what is being done to bring Maria home. “Maria deserves all the help that can be provided,” Couch told the public. There are many people involved in the case from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, the 4^th largest in Georgia, including personnel from Crimes Against Persons, Crimes Scene Unit, and Special Persons.

Other law enforcement agencies have offered their assistance and Couch “welcomed them to our investigation with gratefulness.” Currently Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, and the Consultant General of Guatemala in Atlanta are all assisting with the case. In total, there are roughly 70 investigators on the case. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) have also been contacted and are helping to get information about Maria’s case out to the public.

All of the occupants of her home have been interviewed, with the assistance of the Guatemala Consulate, and cell phones have been collected. Investigators have made several trips to their residence, done a search, and collected forensic evidence. The neighborhood has also been canvased. Interviews have been conducted with school officials, Maria’s friends, social media friends, and neighbors.

In addition, targeted ground searches with the use of K-9s and drones have been conducted and there was a search of Lake Ranier. The FBI, GBI, and Homeland Security have done social media searches, and all known video footage has been downloaded and reviewed. Anyone with video that is not yet known about are asked to contact law enforcement.

Appreciation is felt for the community’s willingness and desire to help in bringing Maria home. Couch’s message for the community is that “what we need most is for you to continue to spread the word and share accurate information about the investigation and contact avenues for tips. Someone out in the community has that one bit of information that is valuable to us, but they need to come forward.”

“First and foremost, let us remember Maria and the folks working diligently to bring her home in your thoughts and prayers,” requested Couch. There is a $30,000 reward for Maria’s safe return home. Anyone with information about this case are asked to reach out through one of the avenues listed below, remembering that all callers may remain anonymous.

To Contact Authorities with Information About the Case

                Hall’s County Sheriff’s Office: (770) 536-8812

                Special Investigations Unit: (770) 503-3232

                E-mail: intelrequest@hallcounty.org

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Link

Have you seen this child? Maria Gomez Perez (missingkids.org)

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Mich. v. Michael Jackson-Bolanos

DETROIT, Mich. – The trial of Mich. V. Michael Jackson-Bolanos, charged with the murder of Samantha Woll, began on June 11, 2024 with opening statements. The state laid out a lot of evidence in their opening statement, but the defense gave the jury a lot to think about.

Everyone Can Agree on This

Samantha Woll, a prominent member of her community, was found by a neighbor outside on her lawn, at 6:21 a.m. on October 21, 2023. Her body bloody, barefoot, and cold to the touch. A trail of blood lead from her body to her home, revealing a bloody scene. There was blood smeared on the walls and on the floor.  The Cause of death revealed at the autopsy was from eight stab wounds above the shoulders, focusing on Woll’s head and neck. This both state and defense agree on during their opening statements.

The State’s Opening Statement

“There is a reason we lock our doors at night when we go to sleep. It is because people who lurk in the night; people who could do us harm, and this case is about one such person,” the state begins their opening statement. “A person you will see on one particular night on the prowl in our community, looking for spaces that were not his to go into and things that were not his to take. The most important thing he ended up taking in that night was the life of a woman. A woman named Samantha Woll.”  

The state continues their opening with a tale of a fun night for Woll, a night spent at a wedding and returning home around 12:30 a.m. Her last outgoing text a “heart” emoji sent to a friend at 1:02 a.m. and appearing to go to bed sometime around 1:24 a.m. when her living room motion detector goes idle and the last activity on her phone between 1:29 a.m. and 1:35 a.m.

Something Woll may not have known, according to her front door sensor, it would appear that the door never closed after she returned home. A small mistake many have made in their time but, in this case, would lead to a tragic ending.

A picture of a thorough investigation by the homicide task force, which consists of the Detroit Police, Michigan State Police, ATF, and FBI. The investigation started open-ended and would take 6 weeks to narrow down. At which point, they had two suspects. Suspect 1 was an ex-boyfriend of Molly’s. Suspect 2, the defendant.

The ex-boyfriend spoke to police, willingly, the day after Woll was found dead. Then, on November 7, 2023, he called police during what is being described as a delusional panic attack. After an increased dosage in his depression meds and ingesting cannabis, he was convinced himself that he had killed Woll himself. This despite having no proof or memory of committing the act. No DNA or fingerprints belonging to the ex-boyfriend were found at the scene. Using cell phone data, investigators put him home on the night of her death.

Suspect 2 was a figure seen on camera footage from an elementary school near Woll’s building that picked up a figure in a nearby parking lot, tampering with cars. One of the cars had a slashed tire. This caught the attention of investigators and they looked for other cameras in the area. Able to track the figures motions, the FBI worked with T-Mobile to find devices following the trajectory. They were able it down to the defendant, Michael Jackson-Bolanos.

Jackson-Bolanos left his girlfriend’s home at 12:32 a.m. in Midtown Detroit the night of Woll’s death. At 1:44 a.m. he is in the location of the Lafayette Park neighborhood near Woll’s home. There he stayed about 18 minutes. He returned to his girlfriend’s home at 4:55 a.m. During the time he was out, he was wearing a North Face Jacket and a white backpack.

On November 30, 2023, the defendant was arrested and a search warrant for his girlfriend’s apartment was executed. During the search, officers found the North Face jacket worn on the night in question, with 2 spots of blood. After testing and comparing the DNA to Woll’s, it was concluded to a high probability that the DNA matched. During a search of the defendant’s car, the white backpack was also found. That too had blood on it that came back as a high probability match to the DNA of Woll. Jackson-Bolanos was unable to give an explanation for the blood found on the backpack and jacket.

The Defense’s Opening Statements

“It was not Michael Jackson-Bolanos,” defense said as they started their opening. “She was stabbed 8 times in the neck and back. That would indicate a crime of passion.” He went on to describe the scene and events of that night.

There were bruises and contusions on her face, evidence of a struggle in multiple rooms. There was a high concentration of blood in the hallway. This is indicative of a body having fallen and lying there for a period of time. All of this effort, and nothing of value was taken from the home.

The defendant admits to being in the area that night. He also told police of his having come upon the body and touching her to see if she was still alive. Would this not be a possible explanation for the spots of blood found on the jacket and backpack? The neighbor who found Woll lying outside touched the body to see if she was alive. If the investigators had collected his clothing and done a blood analysis, would they have found trace amounts of blood on him as well?

There were no footprints found in the blood from the defendant to indicate that he had walked around the scene. Given the bloody scene, wouldn’t “he have been covered in blood?” He made no attempt to discard any of the clothes he had worn that night. Yes, his girlfriend had washed the North Face jacket, but she washed it with a load of laundry as she would any other garment.

Yes, they found multiple knives both in the girlfriend’s home, and on the defendant himself, but they were all sent for analysis. None of the knives returned with evidence associating the defendant with the scene. The “only evidence” the state has connecting Jackson-Bolanos to the scene are trace spots of blood on the back of his sleeve. There was no blood on either his pants or his shoes.

Despite his body being photographed at the time of arrest, no signs of having been in a fight or struggle were visible. He made no attempt to avoid law enforcement. In fact, he contacted law enforcement himself several times in an attempt to find out when he could get his knives back.

The ex-boyfriend on the other hand, had already secured an attorney through his parents after he told them what he had done; a story, according to defense opening, he changed after speaking with his therapist. He had a camera system in his house, but law enforcement was unable to extract pictures from his camera due to either having been deleted or some other explanation. As for the cell phone placing him at home, his only alibi, would he have been smart enough to not have brought the phone with him to the scene?

This One’s for You to Decide

At first glance, this appears to be an open and closed case. That is, until the defense offered their opening statement. The statement started a little rocky, but quickly picked up and, in my opinion, was enough to make people stop and think. But that’s not for me to decide for you.

One tragic night. One murder victim. Two Suspects. One defendant, Michael Jackson-Bolanos. Is he guilty of murder or being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

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GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga – On February 6, 2023, Doraville Police Officer Miles Bryant was arrested for the murder of 16-year-old Susana Morales of Norcross after her remains were found by a passerby off Highway 316.

Susana Morales Vanishes

At 6:00 p.m. on the evening of July 26, 2022, Susana left her home on Santa Anna Drive in Norcross and walked to a friend’s house. According to the Live 360 app she and her friends used, Susana was at Sterling Glenn Apartments from 7:28 p.m. to 9:58 p.m.  Through testimony, we learned she met up with friends Alysa and Kelly at Alysa’s apartment. There they smoked marijuana, did piercings on Alysa’s sister-in-law, and hung out until around 9:30 p.m. when Kelly and Susana left to go home. Kelly and Susana part ways at the back entrance of the apartments. Susana walks down Singleton Road. That is the last time anyone sees Susana alive.

“Her family had to endure 196 days of no information,” the prosecution opens the trial on June 5 with a picture of the pain the family of Susan Morales endured in the time they waited and searched for their loved one with no answers or clues as to her whereabouts. It took from July 26, 2022 when Susan was last seen by friends, until February 6, 2023 when a passerby, Matthew Gilbert, decided to go off-roading in his Suzuki Samurai while driving Highway 316 and came across Susana’s remains where she was left less than 100 yards off the main road while taking a phone call with his sister. Gilbert immediately hung up his call with his sister and called 911 to report what he found.

Officers responded to the sight where they confirmed that what was found were human remains. They immediately taped off and secured the scene while waiting for detectives and the crime scene unit to arrive. The remains, consisting of nothing more than a skeleton, black hair with blonde tips, and nails painted black, were later identified to be those of Susana Morales using dental records. While conducting a search of the area, a Glock 19 with a flashlight attached was found in close proximity to the remains. The gun was registered to Police Officer Miles Bryant who reported it stolen out of his truck on the morning of July 27, 2022.

On the morning of July 27, 2022, Bryant called 911 to report an “entering an auto report”. Detective William Merkley (then a uniformed officer) received a call to report to 3258 Windscape Village Lane at the Sterling Glenn Apartments. There, he was met by Bryant who told him that he noticed the day before that his wallet was missing and, despite driving around the complex, was unable to locate it. That morning, July 27, he noticed his holster on the floor of his truck, the gun missing despite the gun and holster always being kept together.

The court was shown body camera footage showing Bryant not acting too concerned and letting Merkley know that he “just wanted the gun reported stolen and didn’t want detectives looking for it”. Merkley found this “odd” since they had the serial number and could have the gun returned to Bryant.  Merkley called GCIC to report the gun stolen. Bryant never followed up on either the gun or the wallet.

A Mother’s Anguish

The state’s first witness was the mother of Susana, Maria Morales. Maria described her daughter as “very joyful. Always smiling.” Susana liked to listen to music, play music (she played piano, guitar, ukelele, and sang), eat, and dress up.

Maria recalls calling her daughter around 9:30 p.m. on the evening of July 26 to pick her up. There was no answer. Susana had never not come home or called before so “after she didn’t answer, [Maria] thought something was wrong…even if her phone was off, [Susana] would call from her friend’s phone]. Maria then called Susana’s friend Esmeralda, with whom she believed her daughter to be with, but there was no answer. That’s when she called Esmeralda’s mother who told her Susana had never arrived at her home.

Early the next morning, Maria went out to look for her daughter. After she was left without answers and no sign of her daughter, she called the police to report her missing. She was told she would have to wait 72 hours for a missing person report. This is when she, her daughter Jasmine, and Susana’s boyfriend Axel took matters in their own hands. They walked the area, looked for camera, and put missing persons flyers around the several different locations. Though they went months with no answers, neither she nor Susana’s friends and family gave up the search.

An Officer’s Determination

The family and friends were not the only people that refused to give up on finding Susana. Lieutenant Xavier Biggers, of the Gwinnet County Police Department, gave testimony on day 2 of the trial. Biggers was the on-call sergeant when the call reporting Susana was received. He received a call from Susana’s sister, Jasmine, wanting to discuss what happened to her sister. He would meet with both Jasmine and her mother, Maria.

When asked what got to him about this case, he responded by speaking of the anguish and sadness Maria posed, “it really touched me, and I felt it was my duty to find [Susana].” He went on to tell how he is married to a Latina woman and “I couldn’t get enough o it. I would see my daughter’s face and immediately think of Susana.” Biggers broke down on the stand, the emotions still so raw. “I assured Jasmine I had taken this on at a personal level.”

Biggers would go on to do his own investigation into the case. It was when he noticed that there were no interactions with the exception of Susana’s friends trying to reach out to her. This troubled Biggers and at this point that he got homicide involved. Though he would not stay the lead on the case, Biggers stayed invested, and on February 13, 2023, he was at the scene when the defendant, Miles Bryant, was arrested and a search warrant of his home executed.

The Investigation Continues

In January of 2023, Corporal Matthew Conway, of the Gwinnett County Police Department, became the lead investigator on Susana’s case. He conducted several interviews himself, along with assigning other officers to conduct interview.  Kelly, Axel, Esmeralda, Kya, and Alysa, who were the close circle of friends of Susana, were all interviewed, and their phones searched. The phones corroborated the testimony of each and each of their testimony was consistent with each other’s. There was nothing suspicious found in connection with any of the friends.

A Live 360 crash alert was sent out from Susana’s phone around 10:26 p.m. the night of her disappearance. This can mean there was a car crash or possibly the phone was thrown. This alert, according to several witness testimonies, is very rare to receive and they had only ever seen one once, on the night Susana disappeared. The sight of the “crash” was at Oak Loch Trace. This was the last update on Susana’s location and it would remain active until the phone either died or was turned off.

Conway used metal detectors near the location of the crash alert to attempt to locate the phone or anything else related to the case. Nothing was located. Susana’s phone has never been located. He also put out requests for drone and helicopter searches. The helicopter was used to photograph the area and to look for heat signatures. Nothing was found during the aerial search.

A Tragic Ending

During the evening hours, Officer Stephen Breer, of the Gwinnett County Police Department, received a call to respond to the finding of human remains off Highway 316. He was told there was “suspicious activity, random person found what he believed were human remains.” Breer and his supervisor reported to the scene with one other officer. There he was shown what stood out to him to be human remains. They immediately taped off and preserved the crime scene and stayed until other officers showed up to relieve them for shift change. The next morning, Breer returned for a grid search outside the crime scene tape while the medical examiner worked inside the tape.

It was at this point a firearm was found. He made sure it wasn’t disturbed while the crime scene unit photographed and carefully collected the gun. The gun was identified as a Glock 19 Generation 5 with a full magazine and flashlight attached. The serial number was then run and returned as owned and reported stolen by the defendant, Miles Bryant.

The trial is now 3 days in and several more state’s witness are to come. The defendant is expected to take the stand in his own defense.  Stay tuned for continued coverage on the case of Georgia v. Miles Bryant, former police officer.

Brief timeline of events on July 26, 2022 surrounding the disappearance of Susana Morales:

• 6:00 p.m. – Susana left home on Santa Anna Drive in Norcross, walked to a friend’s house
• 7:28 p.m. – 9:58 p.m. – Live 360 shows Susana at Sterling Glenn Apartment where her friend lives
• 10:00 p.m. – Susana has not arrived home
• 10:07 – 10:21 p.m. – Susana goes from walking on Singleton Road to moving at a speed of 40 mph, leaving investigators to believe she entered a vehicle at this point
• 10:21 p.m. – 10:26 p.m. – Live 360 sends out a crash alert, her last known location is shown as Oak Loch Trace near Steve Reynolds – This location shows until her phone either dies or is turned off

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by Summer Breeze, Prison Journalism Project
February 4, 2024

Life behind bars is chaotic. 

The stress of incarcerated life runs the emotional and physical gamut. People inside have to deal with the consequences of a crime they did or did not commit. We have to follow onerous institutional rules, eating when they say, sleeping when they say, doing everything they say! And we have to cope with being locked away from our friends and family in a foreign place. 

This takes a huge daily toll on our mental health. From sunup to sundown, prison stresses us out. 

We all respond differently to the pains and pressures. For some, ignoring the stress can be deadly. For others, the stress is as irritating as a mosquito bite. 

For me, the daily stress is killing me softly. So I use different coping skills to overcome it. I read my Bible or a book with daily meditations, listen to music — gospel, pop, R&B, rap — and I work out. I do this instead of giving in to the sadness and grief. 

I push through it all. I will not let the stressors of this life break my soul. I channel my inner superpowers to help me stay sane. I use healing thoughts, affirmations and good vibes as a guide to lead me through hardships. 

I block out negative people and situations; I avoid petty conflicts and gossip. I fight to keep the spaces in my mind clean by not letting others take up residence in my head with their negative energy. I pray for my enemies and I forgive my haters. I know that in order for the Creator to rehabilitate me, I have to act worthy of his attention and show my intentions clearly. 

I listen to the wind of life when it blows, letting its melody pull me towards it. I send out good vibes in those winds and I bank on their returns. I hold my head high in spite of the heavy emotional tolls. I rise and watch the heavens open each day. I strive to be thankful for everything I have, everything I am, and for everyone around me. 

I pray that after reading this short article you can find a way or a reason to get over the stress that hassles you. Build a team of people who will encourage you to be your best, do your best, and pray that God will do the rest.

This article first appeared on Prison Journalism Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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by Azhdah Enga, Prison Journalism Project
January 14, 2024

My first day in prison was the worst day of my life, besides the day I was sentenced to 17 years. Before I touched down in prison I thought it was going to be like something out of the movies — long dark walkways outside of rusty cell doors with the paint peeling off. I thought everyone was going to be yelling and banging and trying to kill each other. 

It turns out there were no cells, no bars and no banging. Only buildings that looked like military dorms and two rows of tightly packed bunk beds and lockers, with 3 feet between me and the man on either side of me. I’m 6 feet, 2 inches tall. If I stand in the middle of the dorm and touch the tip of my middle finger to the nearest bunk bed, I can almost reach the opposite bunk bed in the other row.

I hadn’t been in prison for 15 minutes when I witnessed a guy get stabbed in the neck while I was standing in the medication line. It happened right behind me. I saw the aggressor and the victim. I immediately walked away without saying anything. I was shocked.

I didn’t know either man. But I knew for damn sure I didn’t want to be the guy with all the holes in his neck, or the guy who was probably about to spend the rest of his life in prison (if that wasn’t already the plan). The reality of where I was hit me like a ton of bricks. My anxiety shot through the roof.

When I got back to my living area, people were talking about what happened as if they were fans of rival football teams. I couldn’t believe how thrilled people were to see someone get hurt. I lay on my bunk and stared at the ceiling, trying to process the violence. I decided not to tell anyone what I saw. It wasn’t my business. 

Not long after that altercation, an old friend of mine from the county jail told me somebody wanted to fight me. I knew the guy he was talking about — our beef was old, childish. Even though I grew up fighting, I didn’t want to fight anybody anymore, especially in prison. But I also didn’t want anybody to think that I was scared. So I went over to another building across the yard to try and talk with him. 

When I found him, we exchanged a few words, and next thing I know I’m getting my head stomped into the ground by him. “How in the heck did I get here?” I asked myself. Then, to my surprise, somebody pulled the man off of me. I got up and shook off the kicks to my head and face. I squared off with the man and we fought again. And again. The fighting lasted about eight minutes. Honestly, I was pretty sure I was going to die, but I held my own. I escaped with a busted lip and a couple shoe prints on me. That was a win. 

Later that day, people kept coming up to me, praising me and giving me commissary items. The guy I fought was pretty big compared to my 160 pounds. 

The next day a corrections officer saw my face and shook their head. Another asked me if I had learned my lesson. Everybody assumed that because I was only 22 I was bound to get into trouble — that I’m the type who goes looking for it. I wasn’t though. If someone just talks smack to me, I ignore it. I only get active if somebody threatens my life or puts their hands on me. 

Oddly enough, after every fight I’ve been in, the guy who fought me always wants to be cool. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve become close friends with after a fight. I’ve been incarcerated over nine years now and still don’t understand this dynamic.

My first day in prison changed me in many ways. The paranoia inside is real. Prison is so unpredictable. The people around you, including the ones you don’t even know, are watching. Not every situation has to end in violence and not everybody has to be an enemy. The ones who are your enemies are the ones you choose to make your enemies. 

I don’t have issues with many people, but every day I wake up thinking that I might not live to see tomorrow. The best way to do your time is to be humble and stay focused on the end goal: your freedom.

This article first appeared on Prison Journalism Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Azhda Enga is a writer incarcerated in Arizona. He is using a pseudonym.

To read more articles written by incarcerated writers, check out these other articles:
Who Benefits From the Death Penalty? by Dennis “Abbadunamis” Mintun
Sending Teenagers to Prison Has Severe Consequences By Robert Schultz

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In response to the state’s demand for an alibi, defense released the following on April 17, 2024.

“Mr. Kohberger was out driving in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022; as he
often did to hike and run and/or see the moon and stars. He drove throughout the area south of
Pullman, Washington, west of Moscow, Idaho including Wawawai Park.”

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by Dennis “Abbadunamis” Mintun, Prison Journalism Project
April 14, 2024

In late February, my state of Idaho tried to execute a person for the first time in 12 years. According to an Idaho Statesman article, the execution team searched for an hour for a suitable vein to inject Thomas Creech with lethal drugs, but was unsuccessful. The execution was eventually aborted and he was sent back to death row. 

Creech has been incarcerated for nearly 50 years and on Idaho’s death row for close to 44 of those years. He has been convicted of five murders and received his death sentence after killing a disabled inmate in his prison in 1981. According to The Associated Press, he claimed to have killed as many as 50 people, but authorities believe the number of possible killings to be closer to a dozen people.  

As you can see, this man was once a bad person. “Was” is the key word in that sentence, because many people believe that Creech changed over close to five decades behind bars.

I have never met Creech, but I have spoken with a couple people who have, and they say he is a better man now — always polite, respectful and ready to help people in need. Creech is highly regarded at Idaho Maximum Security Institution, where he resides. Recently, I was being transported to an outside hospital for an MRI, and the corrections officers transporting me were having a conversation about Creech and how well-respected he was in the prison system. Even the judge who sentenced him to death and a former warden have supported taking him off death row.

Idaho Department of Correction Director Josh Tewalt told The Associated Press in February that some corrections officers have “grown up” with Creech.

“I don’t want to be dismissive of what he did and the countless people who were impacted by that in real significant ways,” Tewalt told the wire service before Creech’s scheduled execution. “At the same time, you also can’t be dismissive of the effect it’s going to have on people who have established a relationship with him. On Thursday, Tom’s not going to be there. You know he’s not coming back to that unit — that’s real. It would be really difficult to not feel some sort of emotion about that.”

I believe that a person can change for the better, even someone who might have killed close to 50 people. This belief has been shaped over the nearly 22 years that I have spent behind bars. I’ve seen others change, and I have changed myself. I started a new religion during my incarceration, in large part, because of discrimination I faced from churches as a gay man. One of the things we teach is not holding people’s past against them, but accepting them as they are now.    

I wish that we could view Creech’s life that way. But many people have said Creech deserves to be killed. What would that accomplish? Who would his killing serve? 

In this case, it might serve family members of Creech’s victims. At least two family members have publicly called for his execution, asking for closure. 

Yet, we don’t know how every family member feels; and if some disagree with his execution, then how do we decide whose feelings are more valid? 

When I read interviews of victims’ families, it often sounds like they want to get on with their lives more than they want to see someone die. In several instances, family members of victims have spoken out against executions, according to a database from Death Penalty Information Center. 

Sometimes, they believe the inmate can be rehabilitated. Sometimes, they believe life in prison is the right punishment — still harsh, but providing the perpetrator an opportunity to live. Others cite the fact that killing another human won’t bring their loved one back. 

One quote in the database, from the daughter of a murder victim, stood out to me: “I cannot imagine what good it would do to kill a person who is incarcerated and away from the public. No one would be made safer. However, I can think of many people who would be harmed by his death — including his innocent family members and the prison workers who would be asked to carry out his execution. Not a single person would be healed.”

Other family members against executions have said they do not want to contribute to the racial disparities present in executions. As of early 2023, about 55% of people on death row were Black or Latino, compared to 33% of the U.S. population. There’s another glaring statistic from Death Penalty Information Center: “More than 75% of death row defendants who have been executed were sentenced to death for killing white victims, even though in society as a whole about half of all homicide victims are African American.”

Beyond racial imbalances, executing someone has often been torturous — and far from humane — even in modern times. One researcher identified  276 botched executions between 1890 and 2010 — 7% of all executions. For 2022, the percentage of botched executions was clocked at a whopping 35%.  

People have been poked with needles for hours, like Creech. In one case, a man’s arm was cut open to insert an IV. Other people have suffered in pain for extended periods of time, instead of experiencing the quick death they were promised.

Alabama, a notoriously tough-on-crime state, called for a moratorium on executions in 2022 while it investigated multiple botched executions. But earlier this year, the state returned to executions by killing Kenneth Smith with a new method: nitrogen suffocation. 

The state has claimed that Smith’s execution went smoothly, while witnesses have said he writhed violently in pain for minutes. Mississippi, Oklahoma and Louisiana also have approved the new form of execution, and other states could follow. 

We had a chance to reconsider the inhumanity of executions; but instead, we just moved forward and found a new way to kill people. 

I am not necessarily protesting the death penalty categorically; but if the state is going to carry out killings, then it should explain why those killings are necessary and why they benefit society.

The specter of dying as a punishment for killing someone has also not stopped murders. If a person is intent on taking a life, they are probably not going to stop and say to themselves, “I might be put to death for this.” Either they believe they will get away with killing someone or they don’t care about the consequences. It doesn’t make sense to kill someone to show that killing shouldn’t be done. 

In my view, state executions just introduce pain and suffering into more people’s lives. And if it’s true that “hurt people hurt people,” as the saying goes, then we are contributing to further harm down the road.

Creech’s next execution attempt has not yet been scheduled, but the state will try again eventually.

(Additional reporting by PJP)

This article first appeared on Prison Journalism Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Dennis “Abbadunamis” Mintun is a writer incarcerated in Idaho.

More by Dennis “Abbadunamis” Mintun

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The post Who Benefits From the Death Penalty? appeared first on .

By Robert Schultz, Prison Journalism Project
April 9, 2024

Fyodor Dostoevsky once wrote, “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” 

Then what can be said of a society that sends teenagers to prison?

In 2009, when I was 17 years old, I got involved in gang violence and was soon charged with first-degree murder. I’ve had many family members and friends who were locked up, which led me to expect incarceration for myself. Initially, I assumed I would face 20 to 60 years and only serve half my sentence.

I was sent to an adult division of the Cook County Jail in Chicago — even though I was just a teenager at the time. Then I learned that my prediction was wrong. I was informed that I was facing a 45-to-85-year sentence to be served fully, without parole or early release. Not once during my trial and sentencing did I appear before a juvenile court or stay in a juvenile detention center. My route to prison was the same path taken by adults.

A young man goes to prison

I fought my case from the county jail for two years. Most of it was spent anxiously waiting for a miracle. My lawyer attempted legal maneuvers to help me, but nothing was successful. Eventually, my co-defendant agreed to testify against me, and my lawyer advised me to plead guilty if the state agreed to waive a gun enhancement charge. In Illinois, if an adult uses a gun to murder someone, an additional 25 years is added to their sentence. 

In March 2012, at the age of 20, I pleaded guilty. I was given a 25-year sentence with no opportunity for parole or early release. 

From there, I was sent to Menard Correctional Center, a maximum security prison, where many inmates were 20 to 30 years older than me. Many of those men had also been sent to prison as teenagers or young adults.  

The prison was about six hours southwest of my hometown of Chicago. It provided little programming and had a reputation for violence. 

From the moment I entered the cell house, I was overwhelmed by how loud it was. Everyone was yelling over each other. It was only quiet at night, when I lay in bed and thought about all the opportunities and moments I had lost, and all the opportunities and moments I had yet to lose.

Constantly pondering these dark outcomes caused me to slip into depression for the first several months of my sentence. Every little thing began to irritate me, and I would let that irritation build to the point of combustion. There was no relief. I became a short-tempered person who reacted irrationally to small inconveniences even if they didn’t directly affect me much. This led to fights between cellmates and friction with my family.   

Lingering mental scars

The experience of prison at such a young age has nearly broken me. Mental scars still linger today. My lack of experiences outside of prison makes me feel insecure about my ability to be successful in a career, maintain mature relationships and have a fulfilling life after prison. I feel like I have to get all those things right on the first try because I don’t have many more chances if I fail. 

The idea of reentering the outside world makes me anxious. I read books aimed at helping people manage their thoughts. I have also found that sharing these thoughts with a group of people can be helpful. It’s comforting to know that I’m not alone and that others are attempting to overcome these same obstacles.

Throughout my incarceration, I have experienced weeks of hopelessness that I couldn’t escape. During these times, my mind raced whenever I tried to sleep. I would once again fall into deep thought about opportunities I had missed. 

Three years into my sentence, I went to a doctor. He told me I was dealing with anxiety and depression. This was new for me. Fear and sadness were never ruling emotions in my life. Before prison, I was often cheerful and energetic — someone who could brighten up a room. I didn’t know how to process my circumstances. 

These are common emotions for juveniles who are sent to adult prisons. According to a report last year from The Sentencing Project, youth detention facilities expose young people to abuse and impede their educational and career success. These youth are far more likely to have depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts than their peers who are not incarcerated. 

In other words, prison can create problems for young people that didn’t exist before. As of 2017, Illinois had about 1,100 people serving sentences that stemmed from an offense committed as a juvenile, according to a report from Restore Justice, a nonprofit focused on reforming the Illinois criminal legal system.

More reform needed

The national picture is even more astounding, although real progress has been made. Around 2001, almost 250,000 juveniles were tried as adults nationwide, according to The Sentencing Project. By 2019, that number had dropped to 53,000 youth. A massive improvement for sure, but prisons are still causing harmful mental consequences for the teenagers and young adults who grow old within them.

When I went to prison, Illinois had an automatic transfer law that allowed juveniles younger than 16 to be prosecuted as adults for a number of offenses. Reforms in 2015 raised the minimum age that someone can be tried as an adult to 16 years old, and narrowed the offenses. Now, to be tried as an adult, people must be at least 16 and on trial for first-degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault or aggravated battery with a firearm.

Illinois has ended gun enhancement sentences for juveniles. And the state has banned life-without-parole sentences for most juveniles who received their sentences after May 2019. But there is much work to do. Truth in sentencing, which requires offenders to serve substantial parts of their sentences and reduces the possibility of parole and earning good-time credit, still prevents many juveniles from earning time off of their sentences. 

And as important as some of these changes have been, they are for the most part not being applied retroactively. There is a 20-year gap for youth sentenced under the old rules who still have to serve their sentences under the harsher laws. 

I am one of these people. We are being kept in prisons for decades or a lifetime — well after we have grown into an adult and become a completely different person from the one who arrived at prison. It seems like folks on the outside have forgotten about us.

These changes would have helped me when I was sentenced by allowing my case to be reviewed by a juvenile court judge. That judge could have made the decision to try me as a juvenile. Instead, I was automatically tried as an adult. 

If these reforms were in place then, I would not have been facing up to 85 years in prison, the de-facto life sentence that influenced me to plead guilty in exchange for a shorter term. Instead, if I went to trial, I would have faced 40 years at most.

Most importantly, I would have had the ability to appear before a parole board after five years in prison. Instead, my 25-year sentence came with no chance at parole.

What comes next?

It’s tough to grow up in prison. I have tried to discover and define myself among people who are years older than me. There is rarely hope for a future on the outside beyond harder, lower-paying jobs, unless I find a different path for myself. Even if I find a good job, I believe I’ll still struggle with a lack of confidence for the rest of my life because of how young I was when I received this too-long sentence. It’s challenging to talk to my family about what I’ve been through because I don’t want to scare them. 

But we still have an opportunity to make things better. We need to divert our youth away from incarceration. And for those who already have been locked up, we need to consider that many of them will be released after years in prison, coming home profoundly damaged after spending formative years behind bars. I worry that if we don’t support them, they’ll fail to adjust during reentry and self-sabotage whenever they have a chance at happiness. 

The earliest I can leave prison is 2035. I will be 43 years old. I filed for clemency in 2020 because parole doesn’t exist as an option for me. On my application, I asked the governor to consider what life I am expected to live after coming to prison as a teenager and spending the next 25 years of my life behind bars. 

After all this time, once I return to the outside world, who am I supposed to be? Who does society want me to be?

This article first appeared on Prison Journalism Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Robert Schultz is a writer incarcerated in Illinois.

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The post Sending Teenagers to Prison Has Severe Consequences appeared first on .

TWO RIVERS, Wis. – Last seen near 3900 Mischicot Road in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, three-year-old Elijah Vue has been missing since February 20, 2024. Elijah was wearing gray sweatpants, a long sleeve dark colored shirt, and red and green dinosaur slippers. He is described as a white male, 3 feet tall, and 45-50 pounds. He has sandy colored hair and brown eyes. Anyone who has information should contact the Two Rivers Police Department at 844-267-6648.

According to the latest press release from Chief of Police Ben Meinert of Two Rivers Police Department, Elijah has not been located and the Amber Alert is still active. Officers are working around the clock to follow up on any tips and leads that are coming in. Local police are working with both state and federal agencies and are “exploring all possibilities to locate Elijah”.

Officers began their search as soon as the 911 call came in. They also contacted other agencies including the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations, FBI, A Child Is Missing, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to assist in the investigation and search. The search is large scale and includes combing through neighborhoods, parks, woods, rivers, and landfills.

Police ask that the community remains vigilant and proactive and avoids spreading rumors. Some suggest activities the public can do to assist includes checking anywhere a small child could hide climb, or fall. Check your own property for any items that don’t belong to you which could include anything from Elijah, including the red, white, and black plaid blanket or the dinosaur printed slippers who was last seen with.  Check your surveillance system from February 12 – 20, looking for anything matching Elijah’s description in your footage. Searching public lands for the same items is also helpful to law enforcement.

If your searches turn up anything, you are asked to not touch anything and contact the tip line at 844-267-6648 or the Two Rivers Dispatch at 920-687-7200, immediately.

At this time, law enforcement has not released a lot of details related to the case. It is known that Katrina Baur, mother of Elijah, and Jesse Vang have been arrested on allegations of child neglect. They were scheduled for a bail hearing this afternoon but the court appearance was cancelled.

Family of Elijah have expressed worry. They have also spoken of being thankful for the public’s support in the search for him. Linda Vue, aunt of Elijah, posted publicly on Facebook words of gratitude. “My family and I have been very devastated and worried since Tuesday, 2/20/24 when we heard the news about Elijah missing.” She goes on to say, “My family and I are very grateful for the amount of love and support from the amazing and wonderful volunteers and locals of Two Rivers along with the outstanding Two Rivers Police and the fire search and rescues teams that work effortlessly to help find our baby boy.”

As the search continues, please remember to stay active and alert. Look to the police to give reliable updates on the case. And, if you know anything, contact the State Tip Line at 844-267-6648 or the Two Rivers Dispatch at 920-687-7200. You always have the option to remain anonymous.

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The post Amber Alert Still Active for Missing Wisconsin Boy appeared first on .

OXFORD, Mi. – Represented by Attorney Marielle Lehman, James Crumbley appeared in court yesterday after a motion was filed to excluded three of the witnesses the prosecution plans to call.

Prosecution plans to call two former Oxford High School students to testify about what they witnessed in the hallway during the shooting on November 30, 2021. Prosecution argued that the students give a unique perspective given that they are the only two surviving shooting victims from the hallway. Defense argued the testimony is irrelevant; the only purpose being to “inflame the jury” and would be “highly prejudicial.” Prosecution also plans to call the former owner of the gun used in the shooting.

Judge Cheryl Matthews said that while she previously was against the testimony of the former gun owner, she now feels that he “may have information on the condition of the cable lock” and will allow the testimony. Matthews is taking more time to decide whether to allow the testimony of the two former students.

James Crumbley is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter related to the shooting at Oxford High School by his son, Ethan Crumbley, who is currently serving a sentence of life in prison. His wife, Jennifer Crumbley, was found guilty last month of four counts of manslaughter. Crumbley’s trial is set to begin on March 5.

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The post Pre-trial Motion for James Crumbley, Father of Oxford High School Shooter appeared first on .