Comments on: This Week in Innocence

By: Leon

Leon — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 17:07:47 +0000

If the prosecutor and the sheriff conspired to railroad this innocent kid, they should be arrested for some crime like unlawful imprisonment, conspiracy to violate his civil rights or something to make it clear that there is a price topay for such prosecutorial misconduct.

By: Noel

Noel — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 05:46:02 +0000

Josh is innocent and a good guy who has found God. If you dont have the facts then you need to shut up

By: James

James — Sat, 29 May 2010 15:53:34 +0000

It is going to be difficult to make a case against Mark Abbot, if he is guilty. It is suspicious that he claims the man he saw driving a white car near the crime scene was first Hispanic, then black, and finally white. But he claims that he reached into the car and pulled on Mischelle’s shoulder–so he “contaminated” the crime scene. Also he as an identical twin Matt. In fact, the sheriff’s department is not certain whether it was Mark or Matt who walked into to report Mischelle’s murder.

By: cassandra.

cassandra. — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:14:26 +0000

For everyone who says Joshua Kezer “did” kill Lawless.
He did not! I grew up all of my life hearing the story from
my dad, my other uncles, and my grandpa and grandma.
I’m honestly glad that sheriff reopened the case. Now
I finally get to see my uncle again. It’s not fair that an innocent
man would be sent to jail for 2 years and then sent off to
prison for 14 years. Especially when he didn’t even do the crime
in the first place. Just imagine if you where a young 17 year old guy (or girl for any matter) who was placed in the same situation. Think about it! It could happen to anyone at anytime and no one would see it even coming. I’m sorry for all of you who think and feel against me, but this is my uncle. I know the truth, and all of the evidence the court ever had on my uncle didn’t have anything to do with my uncle and the murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless. My uncle Josh didn’t even know who she was until he saw her picture on the obituary. I mean if he did commit the murder he would of recongized her. But he didn’t even know her at all or ever heard of her. If Mark Thomas Abbott is still alive they should blood test him and see if his DNA matches anything that existed at the crime scene. Because in a normal case these days you eliminate the first person to discover the body and then find witnesses. But that’s not what happened in this case. Instead they added other witnesses and questioned them, not Mark. Maybe he is the one who killend Angela Mischelle Lawless. Has anyone ever thought about that?!! (I’m not saying that Mark did kill Angela, I’m just saying it’s a possibility.)

By: Pamela

Pamela — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 05:09:59 +0000

Someone asked how you survive 17 years in prison without killing yourself. You do what Kezer did, join a gang, he was young he needed protection. It’s a matter of survival. You get tattoos because it is the one thing they can’t take from you. Life goes on in prison. There is a whole lot of living going on, even for the innocent. It’s not really living, it’s surviving, but at some point you decide to live, not die. You forget about the free world, but you hold on to that little bit of hope just in case. You become a convict, which is to say, you live better than an inmate. You’re days consist of living better, it’s a lot of work. I’d like to see old Husholf (or whatever his name is) survive without gang protection, in fact he couldn’t get any, he’d have to be in protective custody with the pussys. I doubt after what he did, he’d survive long in the general population.

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:01:01 +0000

Here’s the Columbia, MO write up on the story (with associated comments).

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/feb/19/inmate-free-after-15-years/

Unfortunately, some of the comments are suggesting that Kezer is still guilty because he has gang tattoos on him.

By: gDavid

gDavid — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:17:56 +0000

Hang this miscreant by the neck real slowly until dead. Make it public on the courthouse lawn. Post a big sign that this person in the name of the state failed to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth;, but lied to try to get a human killed to further his own ambition. Any lawyer who lies should be immediately hanged by the neck until dead. Period. I’m not a liberal, but a conserative, however, I cannot stand any public offical who can be so evil.

By: Marty

Marty — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:26:18 +0000

More MO news this morning- with all of our favorite elements… cameras, officials, confusion about the system they upheld biting them…
Robinson, a former state rep, was drunk and hit a pedestrian. he and his wife drove away to a school, switched places so she’s driving, and returned to the scene. His wife administered aid to the victim while the ambulance responded. He called his friend the sheriff, also.
The switcheroo was caught on the school surveillance camera!
this pos never even got out of his truck to try to help the guy he hit… of course, he’s stunned that the court won’t overlook ‘the biggest mistake of my life’….

Too bad it wasn’t Hulshoff, instead of Robinson.

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:26:06 +0000

#26 #29 WE HAVE A WINNAH!

When does the lawsuit get filed for 17 years of false imprisonment? I’d like to see this ex-prosecutor ex-congressman become ex-human, myself. Maybe demotion to medical research project and some vivisection sans anesthesia or sepsis.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:03:11 +0000

Its not just the judge who deserves a pat on the back for this one. Its the current sheriff. He is the one who reopened this case when others in law enforcement were telling him he should be happy there was a conviction.
below is a link. If it doesn’t work go to http://www.kfvs12.com thats where the story is

http://www.kfvs12.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=3461838&h1=Kezer%20released%20from%20prison%2C%20prosecutor%20not%20retrying%20case&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=190667&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&rnd=3734243

By: newageblues

newageblues — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:16:57 +0000

#31, ktc2, is it possible to be more specific about the when and where? I’d like to read more about that, depressing as it will be.

By: Aresen

Aresen — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:30:59 +0000

#42 Cynical in CA

His comment was grammatically correct. That was a dead giveaway.

By: Cynical In CA

Cynical In CA — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:51:50 +0000

“The sad thing about Krueger’s satire is that it accurately reflects the sentiments of a lot of people who vote for prosecutors and judges.”

What amazes me about Krueger’s satire is that he got positive karma with no indication that what he wrote was satire except for us knowing his worldview.

Because, frankly, it was scary how realistically he conveyed that rather common opinion.

By: Aresen

Aresen — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:35:13 +0000

@Roger X #38:

I agree that, more often than not, the guys who whack a whole bunch of people are known to be “off” before their actions are known.

I was only trying to make the point that people can be completely corrupt even though, on personal acquaintance, they seem normal, respectable and considerate.

By: Sinister Eyebrow

Sinister Eyebrow — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:24:34 +0000

Most judges appointed to the bench are former prosecutors–it’s just the nature of the system. DAs are connected to government and to the political people who make the decisions on appointments. I’ve seen good and I’ve seen terrible results from this. Most do their level best as Judges. One other thing to remember, is that most DAs who stop working for the gov’t, turn around and become defense attorneys.

Unethical behavior on the part of prosecutors is not all that uncommon. It falls to the bar association to act against them and in most counties, the bar association does not like to crack down on a prosecutor. Just take a look at the prosecutors in NC who lied to get death sentences in NC. They got nothing more than a slap on the wrist from the NC bar.

By: CEH

CEH — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:59:28 +0000

#15, ” It would be nice to see a criminal defense attorney occasionally appointed to the bench, though.” In the City of Chesapeake, former well known defense attorney John Brown is now a Circuit Court judge, going on 2 years I think. Don’t know how he’s been deciding cases though, if it is different (better, fairer, more just) from other judges that were former prosecutors though.

By: Roger X

Roger X — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:11:05 +0000

Aresen: “How many times have we heard the “he seemed like a nice, ordinary guy” mantra about someone who has just committed mass murder?”

Far fewer than the times we’ve heard, “I’ve always known there was something a little ‘off’ about that guy” mantra in a similar situation?

Sadly, these are the kind of people who go into law and politics. My sister’s in law school, and had to take a year off. She wanted to be a “social justice”/ACLU type, and realized that pretty much anyone who actually cared about justice were ending up burning themselves out as public defenders, while the “sharks” were lining up the ways they can game the system by using the rule of law to “win” cases and gain fame and glory.

By: EdinTally

EdinTally — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:28:20 +0000

#20

Are you high? MAYBE you could make a difference as an elected DA (until the next election when your opponent says you are soft on crime) but short of that, you will tow the line like the rest.

By: Nick T

Nick T — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:03:38 +0000

Aresen,

I think Radley said the story involved our favorite forensic fraud duo. So that’s gotta be Hayne and West. I am so excited.

By: Aresen

Aresen — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:36:25 +0000

‘BIG STORY TOMORROW’ teaser.

I’m guessing 90%:
1) Hayne
2) West
3) Mississippi

5%:
4) Maryland

4%
5) Florida, Illinois, Texas

1%
6) Other.