August 7th-8th 1992 ( Joseph's own words)
I was living on Garden Street in Natchez Mississippi (Adams County). The morning of August 7th I borrowed a car belonging to my cousin Charles Jones, and I went to my moms home on Johnson Street and picked up the check for the R.A. do. Once done, I went back home to Garden Street to get ready to go out to score some drugs. After driving around Natchez without much success, I along with Rachel made our way to Ferriday Louisiana. Rachel was my live in girlfriend (at the time). This was around 11am, when we made it to Ferriday, where I scored an ounce of crack cocaine. I then drove back to Garden Street, where I cooked, cut and bagged the drugs for sale later. While I was doing that Rachel went shop-lifting for cloths for that night, to go out on the town. Once the drugs were bagged, I sat on the stoop of my home and sold, until I had enough money to re-up again and so on. When Rachel made it back I bathed, dressed and we left for the night. I drove to Daisy Street (to the rocks) and scored an already cooked crack dope. Went inside the store bought alcohol. Then we picked up Sharon Grinell (who was walking). The three of us went to the 200 block of downtown Natchez, behind Mike's Place (barbershop). This was around 10pm. Once parked I sat and cut up the dope, I just bought, then stepped out. I sat on the hood of the car. People were already out there, loads of them. I met a few, we kicked it, got high socialising. As far as knowing them, the only people I knew were Rachel and Sharon, until around midnight when Clarence "bear" Anderson and Michael McMorris came behind Mike's Place. You had people coming and going all night, but I remained Mike's Place the whole night. I am not sure of the time, but my cousin Charles came to get his (car?) While I was back there. I offered him money for the use but he refused, saying it was 'ok'. Rachel and Sharon came and went all through the night. As day-break Rachel and I walked from the 200 block to her sister Carolyn's home, on Bishop Street. We talked to her sister as she was leaving home for work, then we went inside around 9am (August 8th). Rachel called one of her friends, then left to go shop-liftingfor the rest of the day, so we could have dope for later on that night. When she left I went to Garden Street and home, and crashed for a few hours.
My story of what happened that night, has never changed. Rachel has told three totally different stories of the events of that night. Rachel said I was with with here when she sold a gun, but witnesses said I was not. Rachel said I was with her when she bought dope with marked bills from the register, witnesses said I was not. Rachel said I put the cash register in the back of the truck, no witnesses saw this register, and still to this day has never been found. Rachel said I filled the truck with gas, went in gas station got drinks, and snack, went to register shot the woman four times carried register out with snacks and drinks...mind you, never dropping a thing, or leaving fingerprints while while high on crack cocaine. Rachel also wrote a letter to my mother, that stated I did not commit this crime, and was forced into saying I did. My attorney James Craig has this letter.
In July or August 1993 Is when I first met Larry Bernard, he first approached me and asked if I had a brother called Junebug, who got a kid by Natalie. I said sure, he showed me a picture and mentioned his son. That was the length of our talk. Next thing I hear about him, he got a statement from me saying I robbed and killed a store clerk.
I had been in jail a year at that time. I had been around people I had known all my life, and I never once told them I did this crime (YET) here I am (if it is to be believed) telling a total stranger I killed someone-- UNBELIEVABLE!
It was also around this time that they brought Clarence "bear" Anderson to jail, one of the two people who was with me the night this happened. I asked him if remembered that night, he said yes, so I sent him to my lawyer Donald Ogden to make a statement, and he was suppose to be at trial to testify, but never showed up. I assume he made a deal with the DA to get off whatever charge he was in jail on.
I have spent the last twenty years of my life at Parchman Prison, on Death Row for a crime I didn't commit. Please help me get justice....
I was living on Garden Street in Natchez Mississippi (Adams County). The morning of August 7th I borrowed a car belonging to my cousin Charles Jones, and I went to my moms home on Johnson Street and picked up the check for the R.A. do. Once done, I went back home to Garden Street to get ready to go out to score some drugs. After driving around Natchez without much success, I along with Rachel made our way to Ferriday Louisiana. Rachel was my live in girlfriend (at the time). This was around 11am, when we made it to Ferriday, where I scored an ounce of crack cocaine. I then drove back to Garden Street, where I cooked, cut and bagged the drugs for sale later. While I was doing that Rachel went shop-lifting for cloths for that night, to go out on the town. Once the drugs were bagged, I sat on the stoop of my home and sold, until I had enough money to re-up again and so on. When Rachel made it back I bathed, dressed and we left for the night. I drove to Daisy Street (to the rocks) and scored an already cooked crack dope. Went inside the store bought alcohol. Then we picked up Sharon Grinell (who was walking). The three of us went to the 200 block of downtown Natchez, behind Mike's Place (barbershop). This was around 10pm. Once parked I sat and cut up the dope, I just bought, then stepped out. I sat on the hood of the car. People were already out there, loads of them. I met a few, we kicked it, got high socialising. As far as knowing them, the only people I knew were Rachel and Sharon, until around midnight when Clarence "bear" Anderson and Michael McMorris came behind Mike's Place. You had people coming and going all night, but I remained Mike's Place the whole night. I am not sure of the time, but my cousin Charles came to get his (car?) While I was back there. I offered him money for the use but he refused, saying it was 'ok'. Rachel and Sharon came and went all through the night. As day-break Rachel and I walked from the 200 block to her sister Carolyn's home, on Bishop Street. We talked to her sister as she was leaving home for work, then we went inside around 9am (August 8th). Rachel called one of her friends, then left to go shop-liftingfor the rest of the day, so we could have dope for later on that night. When she left I went to Garden Street and home, and crashed for a few hours.
My story of what happened that night, has never changed. Rachel has told three totally different stories of the events of that night. Rachel said I was with with here when she sold a gun, but witnesses said I was not. Rachel said I was with her when she bought dope with marked bills from the register, witnesses said I was not. Rachel said I put the cash register in the back of the truck, no witnesses saw this register, and still to this day has never been found. Rachel said I filled the truck with gas, went in gas station got drinks, and snack, went to register shot the woman four times carried register out with snacks and drinks...mind you, never dropping a thing, or leaving fingerprints while while high on crack cocaine. Rachel also wrote a letter to my mother, that stated I did not commit this crime, and was forced into saying I did. My attorney James Craig has this letter.
In July or August 1993 Is when I first met Larry Bernard, he first approached me and asked if I had a brother called Junebug, who got a kid by Natalie. I said sure, he showed me a picture and mentioned his son. That was the length of our talk. Next thing I hear about him, he got a statement from me saying I robbed and killed a store clerk.
I had been in jail a year at that time. I had been around people I had known all my life, and I never once told them I did this crime (YET) here I am (if it is to be believed) telling a total stranger I killed someone-- UNBELIEVABLE!
It was also around this time that they brought Clarence "bear" Anderson to jail, one of the two people who was with me the night this happened. I asked him if remembered that night, he said yes, so I sent him to my lawyer Donald Ogden to make a statement, and he was suppose to be at trial to testify, but never showed up. I assume he made a deal with the DA to get off whatever charge he was in jail on.
I have spent the last twenty years of my life at Parchman Prison, on Death Row for a crime I didn't commit. Please help me get justice....
by: Michelle Schmude
Reposted your story....
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Just pray
ReplyDeletePray and trust in God. He knows your innocence. I will pray for you and ask God to bless you. Stay strong and positive. Do not give up.
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