While I regret I’m not attending this important hearing,as soon as I learn the results, I will post a press release.
In the meantime, I suggest you read this affidavit of Dino Grondin, the son of the first and most relentless accuser in this horrible case. The affidavit is only two pages long and it chills the blood.
-Bob Chatelle
“Both Allen and Smith professed innocence, and the two said they had never met prior to being charged in connection with the case. Attorneys for Allen and Smith have argued that experts — since the 1994 trial — have determined the four children, who testified in court, had been questioned improperly by investigators, who planted ideas in their minds, and the children eventually believed what they were told was true.”
Read the article by Michael Fitzpatrick in The Morning Journal. The National Center for Reason and Justice has been fighting for Nancy Smith and Joseph Allen since their inception in 2002. Please consider supporting their work with a contribution.
Thank you for your support of justice!
When the NCRJ was founded in 2002, one of the first cases we sponsored was the case of Frank Fuster. His was one of the first and most high-profile cases of the 80’s daycare panic. While a number of the other cases ended in exoneration, Frank has not been so fortunate.
The NCRJ will not abandon Frank and are supporting a final effort towards justice. Frank currently is hoping to raise money to obtain records he believes might help his cause. Towards that end, he contacted us and asked if we could set up a GoFundMe appeal for him.
We have done so. Please visit it here.
“ELYRIA — Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson is considering going to court to request that the criminal convictions of Joseph Allen and Nancy Smith, convicted of child sexual abuse in the Head Start case of the early 1990s, “be vacated and that the charges against them be dismissed.”
Read the article by Dave O’Brien in the Lorain Chroicle-Telegram.
Everyday Joseph Allen remains in prison the magnitude of this injustice increases. This is the first hopeful development in many years.
“On Wednesday, my Mother got some bad news. She went to the doctors and was diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctors scheduled her for something like 3 or 4 tests, and an operation within two weeks. I think they caught it early.
“My Mother has been my strength throughout my incarceration. She has kept me centered. The thing I look forward to the most when I finally get out, is spending time with her. Taking care of her. My life is something of a train wreck, and it has had nothing but a bad impact on my Mother’s life. She deserves some peace in life.”
“Recently, I had someone I consider a very close friend look at the posts I place on this very blog. He disagreed with much of what I had been saying, because he believes that society is much more likely to believe someone who claims to be innocent when the evidence bears that out, that people are tired of sloppy police work, and jurors require real proof of a person’s guilt to convict. I have not been out in the free world in over 25 years and cannot speak to some of his arguments. Nevertheless, the one thing he said to me that really stuck with me is, “many TV shows depicting innocent people being exonerated show that those prisoners who are upbeat, optimistic, and willing to forgive get much more attention and are more likely to be released than those who are consumed by anger and recrimination. I would prefer to think it is not a person’s attitude, but rather the facts of each case that persuades the public to help free innocent inmates. My Mother even says I have become increasingly more negative over the years. I suppose my posts are apparently negative as well.”
I hope some of you are reading these remarkable posts from Shane. He paints a chilling picture of the prison life of an innocent person.
“How many times have you ever been accused of doing something you know you did not do? When that accusation comes, don’t you vehemently deny it? Have you noticed that the more serious the false allegation against you, the more forceful the denial? The most serious and disgusting allegations invoke anger.
“I have been told there are two major differences between those who are guilty, and those who are innocent, in prison. The first is to say that the innocent are always angry. Angry because both the system has failed them in a colossal way, and the accusation remains with them the entire time they are in prison. If it angers you to be falsely accused, then think what it must be like to have that same false allegation pointed at you daily. The second difference is that those who are guilty sleep at night, and those who are innocent do not. Try to imagine being trapped in a nightmare you can not get away from even while you are awake. Your mind will not let things rest, and therefore you do not rest.”
“I am wondering what the word, “lonely” means to all of you? For me, it takes much more of a surreal meaning. It breeds feelings of emotional pain, anxiety, and desperation. I am sure you are saying you feel these things as well. So, let me enlighten you as to what I am really talking about.
“There was a time when I would get to feeling lonely, I would simply find family or a friend to talk to. I would go to their house, call them on the phone, or sometimes they would just show up. I was with people I greatly cared for. All of those feelings would slip away into some place in the back of my mind. Just waiting for the next opportunity to present themselves. Keeping in mind, the internet was not as prevalent in our society when I was a free man as it is now. Social media was in its infancy. From what I can tell, social media has not helped us build our social skills. A cold computer screen does not convey things like, tone of voice, facial and body expressions, or other body language that can express so much more than any written word can. That is another subject I suppose.”
“Over the years, I saw the strength my Mother had in uncertain times. I do not think anything I did would be considered brave. I still think it is something I needed to go through. So, I just followed my Mother’s example. I stood up and stepped forward. I have been doing this for 25 years now. The fear, uncertainty, and anger have become a part of my everyday life. It is hard to remember what it was to live without those things so very present everyday. The toll it takes on your confidence, your trust in others, and how you view the world is more than anyone should have to pay.
“I am a social pariah to everyone (staff and inmate alike) in prison. The vast majority do not care about my claims of innocence. Even if they would be willing to look at the evidence, their first response is usually something like, ‘You had to do something to get all of that time.’ It really is a no win scenario.”
“I have always said that I spend most of my time either attempting to prove my innocence or preparing myself for when I do finally go home. Among the ways I work to prepare myself is to try to create new programs for the entire inmate population. You see, ODRC does not always have the educational opportunities I would need to ready myself. So, I try to create those programs just so I can take them myself. Unfortunately, there are staff members that throw roadblocks at every turn. Such as the situation I mentioned in my last post.”
Copyright 2008-2024 Bob Chatelle. Design by Fort Hill Design.
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