The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
The list of people calling for the pardon of four sailors convicted of the 1997 rape and murder of a young Navy wife continues to grow, but the effect of that support on a pending clemency petition is unclear.
Speaking on behalf of 30 former federal agents, retired FBI official Jay Cochran said Monday that an independent review of evidence led them to the "inescapable conclusion" that the sailors "stand falsely convicted and imprisoned for a crime they did not commit."
At a news conference, Cochran and his fellow former agents called for an immediate pardon, joining a chorus of those proclaiming the innocence of the sailors known as the Norfolk Four.
Earlier this year, four former Virginia attorneys general similarly stated that the Norfolk Four convictions were based on conflicting false confessions coerced by police with the threat of death sentences.
"A confession is something that we should take as investigators, and we should corroborate that through independent investigation," said another former agent, Larry Smith. "We shouldn't just take it at face value and believe it because it fits the need we have of a particular puzzle or crime that we're working."
Three of the four sailors - Joseph Dick Jr., Derek Tice and Danial Williams - continue to serve time in prison for the slaying of Michelle Moore-Bosko, an 18-year-old newlywed found murdered in her Norfolk apartment in 1997. The fourth sailor, Eric Wilson, was released in 2006 after serving more than eight years but is also seeking a pardon.
Another man, Omar Ballard, later confessed that he alone killed Moore-Bosko.
Those who believe in the innocence of the Norfolk Four note that only Ballard's DNA was found at the crime scene.
A 2006 Norfolk Circuit Court ruling essentially vacated Tice's earlier conviction on the grounds that he had ineffective trial lawyers. But the state Supreme Court in January upheld his conviction on appeal.
In July, Cochran and other former agents penned a letter to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine in support of clemency.
They publicly revealed that missive Monday, on the eve of Veterans Day, after what the former agents said was months without a response.
Kaine's spokesman, Gordon Hickey, confirmed that the governor received the letter, but not much else.
"The governor has the petitions and is reviewing them but has not yet made a decision," Hickey said.
When pressed, Hickey did not provide a time frame within which the governor may decide on clemency.
Kaine's predecessor, Mark Warner, was governor when the pardon paperwork was filed in 2005.
Relatives of the sailors present at Monday's news conference expressed hope that this latest round of attention on the case could prompt Kaine to act.
"I don't understand the reluctance on behalf of the governor, other than it's a political issue for him," said Larry Tice, father of Derek.
Efforts to reach Moore-Bosko's parents, John and Carol Moore of Pittsburgh, were unsuccessful Monday.
In a statement e-mailed when Tice's conviction was upheld last January, the victim's family indicated they continue to believe "these men are guilty."
Pilot writer Michelle Washington contributed to this report.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Norfolk 4
These men have been fighting it from the beginning. The judge wouldn't let some stuff be heard, the crime scene didn't match any confession except Ballard's. One confession claimed that a hammer was used to open the door, but there were no marks on the door. Lots of stuff like that. Ballard, who is not a sailor, said he was the only one and the others were stupid for confessing. The only DNA was Ballard's. There are 13 jurors who want them released. These guys were interrogated for hours on end without lawyers until they confessed. You confess to anything just to get out of there. One of the sailors, who by all accounts is a little "slow", was on a ship, but the Navy has discarded records. There were eight guys initially on the list. The sailors just kept throwing out names. These four sailors were not pals that hung around with one another. The jurors convicted them because "how could you confess to something you didn't do". There are a lot of details to the case. You can't just say "young FBI guys don't know" "bunch of liberals". I am conservative as they come, that is why the lack of truth being considered burns me so much on this. Now it is with a politician.
Let them rot
These men could have fought more for their freedom from the beginning. They do not deserve it, they are guilty. Case closed.
Bobby
The issue is not my experience. You asserted that the 30+ FBI agents lacked the experience as the NPD detective. You are incorrect. In fact, Cochran has a distinguished career. All I'm saying is that when you have that many law enforcement officers questioning a confession, there may be a fire behind that smoke. It's easy to criticize people for confessing to crimes they did not commit, but it happens more often than you realize. In this case, the confessions were not even consistent. The goal is justice, not just to round people up and throw them in prison. This was a terrible crime, and in my mind, those who committed it deserve the death penalty. I'm not convinced that everybody convicted in this case actually committed the crime. And apparently, I am not alone in that sentiment.
Dear AM81430
Since you know how long each were on the job, I guess you also know how many homicides each investigated. Please tell us. I have no dog in this fight, but I suspect you may.
Life
Now you know why “Life without parole” means nothing. It only takes a couple bleeding heart liberals to change it. Not only did a jury find them guilty, but they confessed to the crime. Now a few want to let them out so they can commit more crimes and maybe even kill a few more people. Heck, wait till Obama takes office and he’ll let them out.
get the facts and all the facts
"A confession is something that we should take as investigators, and we should corroborate that through independent investigation," said another former agent, Larry Smith. "We shouldn't just take it at face value and believe it because it fits the need we have of a particular puzzle or crime that we're working."
Don't think for one minute the PD isn't capable of making you scream Uncle under extreme duress.
If anyone you knew was falsely in jail, I'm sure you would want all the facts to be reviewed also. I know I would!
It would appear that
It would appear that confessing to a murder you didn't commit was a bad idea. Don't you find that out the hard way every time....
Get all the facts
Before posting here, people really need to research further into this case. Look beyond this article. There is overwhelming evidence that these people are innocent. This case was not handled properly from the beginning.
ex FBI agents
I don't know all the ex FBI agents nor do I know all the Norfolk Detectives that have been involved in this case. We all know there are great FBI agents and great investigators in any department/ field office. But many in law enforcement also know there are many agents in the Federial Bureau of Investigation that should be refered to as members of the Famous but Incompenent. So take with a grain of salt what any after the fact person may say regarding an investigation.
Wow
You don't confess to a crime like this, then 10 years later say "Oh I did not do it, I made a mistake when I confessed, please let me out." Why would an innocent man apologize to the family of that young woman for the crime 6 months after he was jailed? Or did it take that long for the police brainwashing to lose effect? Is there a lasting time limit on brainwashing? Were the cops just THAT good so the guy actually believed he did it until a few years after, then woke up one day and said "Hey!!! Wait a min here, I DIDN'T do it." Because according to most of you posters, that is pretty much what you are saying.