Shane Crum – Victim of Injustice

From Shane’s mother

My name is Sally Crum and I have lost everything trying to prove that my son is innocent. My son Shane Crum has been in prison for over 20 years. He is innocent and if you read this entire letter you will think so too. Everything in this letter is from the reports and trial transcripts except for my opinions. Shane was accused of sexually abusing his daughter K.C. Crum; she was 4 years old at the time. Shane received two life sentences back to back plus two years. Shane was told to stay away from K.C. in early January 1996 by K.C.’s mother Christine McNutt because of these allegations.

Christine, Christine’s mother Linda McNutt, and Christine’s boyfriend Johnny Confalone called human services. They came to the house to talk to them. K.C. was then taken to Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron on February 7th. 1996. In my opinion who waits (weeks) that long to get a child checked out? These are very serious allegations. They waited from early January to February 7th. to have K.C. checked out.

Nurse Donna Abbott of Children’s Hospital checked K.C. for these allegations her report said there was no trauma to the mouth, face, head, neck, back, buttocks, chest, breast, abdomen, upper or lower extremities. External genitalia described as general appearance. The hymen had no tears or disruptions. The cervix was not examined. The uterus and adnexa was not examined. There were no physical findings. Physical examination indicates only the absence of penetrating trauma. At one point Nurse Abbott said the hymen can regrow. In my opinion even if the hymen can regrow I don’t think it can regrow within a month without leaving a scar.

K.C. was then taken to a phycologist Dr. David Coleman. His report said he had four or five visits with K.C.. He said K.C. required little time to prepare emotionally before talking about the bad stuff Shane did to her. Despite her young age she appears to be emotionally stable. However because of her young age K.C. should be provided with prehearing preparation to ensure her testimony. In my opinion if K.C. was emotionally stable why did she need to be prepared to testify?

While K.C. was going through all of this Christine married Johnny on August 6th. 1996. Christine knew Shane from school then lived with him for eight years. How could you marry a man you only knew a little over a year when a man you knew for years was supposed to have molested your daughter? I would not have trusted any man with my daughter for a very long time.

Johnny and Christine worked at M. K. Morris in Canton on afternoons; that is where they met. Johnny then went to days and Christine went to midnights. Christine would leave for work and Johnny would have K.C. at night, he would take her to Linda’s in the morning before going to work. After work Christine would go home and sleep before picking up K.C..

One night while Christine was getting ready for work K.C. tried to kiss Johnny with an open mouth. Johnny told Christine and she said she does that sometimes and let it drop. Johnny waited until Christine left for work then asked K.C. again where she learned to kiss like that, she said on TV. he asked her again and she said I don’t know. He asked her again and again until she cried and said maybe her dad showed her that. Only then did he let her go to sleep. Johnny then called Linda and they discussed the open mouth kiss and made plans to talk to Christine the next afternoon. The next morning Johnny took K.C. to Linda’s and dropped her off. By the time Christine went to pick up K.C., she was saying Shane was doing bad things to her not just an open mouth kiss. In my opinion Linda spent the whole day with K.C. questioning her and it went from an open mouth kiss she learned on TV. to sexual abuse.

While on the stand K.C. kept calling Shane her bad dad or bad father. When asked who told her to call him that she said her mom. In the police report and on the stand K.C. said Shane put his pee-pee in her pee-pee and it went up to her belly. In my opinion if a grown man does that to a 4 year old there would be some signs of trauma, tears or disruptions, and some kind of emotional trauma.

Shane was found guilty on three counts:

COUNT ONE – Rape with force or threat of force. Rape is vaginal intercourse. He received a life sentence

COUNT TWO – Felonious sexual penetration. This is to insert part of his body or other objects into a vaginal or anal cavity. He received a life sentence.

COUNT THREE – Gross sexual imposition. Touching or the contact of one body part to another body part for sexual gratification. He received Two years.

In my opinion how could anyone be found guilty on these counts with no physical evidence?

When we appealed the lawyer found eleven assignments of error. We went to the appellant court. One of the judges said he could not believe they found him guilty on such evidence. We thought that was a good sign. After the trial we asked the lawyer about it and he said the judges were elected officials and they would not over turn a case like this because they would not get re-elected. The lawyer said the only chance we could have is if we went in front of appointed officials. he was right they denied our appeal.

We placed all of the case files onto this web site to allow everyone to see the truth for themselves, in hope that we will find the help we need to prove my sons innocence. I have spent all I have paying for attorneys and other things associated with this case. I no longer have the means to continue the fight to prove my sons innocents. I have lost my home and I’m living with my daughter. Without the ability to hire attorneys, experts, or professionals my son will likely die in prison for a crime that never occurred. We are hoping that someone out there will either be able to directly help us, or put us in contact with someone who can help us (including experts and attorneys).

Please help!

From Sherry, (Shane’s sister)

My brother has been through a great deal in his life, and even before he was born. While my mother was pregnant with Shane, she fell down a flight of stairs causing the umbilical cord to wrap around his neck. He was born early and in 1969. Before he was a year old, he crawled onto a metal floor heat register causing a third degree burn on his stomach. He still bears that scar to this day.

When Shane was 4 years old, he and our youngest brother (Shannon) went to a baby sitters house across the street from our grandma Vi’s house. Mom and dad went to work, while our brother Joe and I went to school. The baby sitter fell asleep with a cigarette in her hand, the house caught on fire. Grandma Vi was the one who called the fire department. Can you imagine how my grandma felt watching that fire, and knowing her two grandbabies were in there? Shane was the only one to survive that fire. He spent a long time in the hospital, and when he finally came home, I remember him having nightmares all the time. He now has burns on his face and arms because of that fire, in addition to the ones on his stomach.

People looked at Shane with disgust and repulsion because he had so many scars. I would get into a lot of fights because of the cruel comments other kids would say to him. Shane would always try to pull me away from them or step between these kids and myself. He never wanted anyone else to go through the trauma he endures even to this day. The Shriners tried to help Shane, and they put him through several surgeries that left scabs on his face. Additional trauma closely related to the original cause. The surgeries helped, but Shane will always have scars for the rest of his life. A constant reminder of a nightmare he lived.

Now in prison, serving two life sentences, for something he did not do. To meet him, you would not know he has gone through all of this. It does not show, I do not know how he endured all of this strife in his life, but he makes me believe I can endure all the speed bumps in my life. Especially, when he has had to climb the mountains in his.

More From Sally (Shane’s mother)

Shane’s life was not all turmoil. There were many happy times too. Once, while watching T.V., a neighbor came to the front door and asked if we were moving. I said, “No. why are you asking?” She said, “Because there are clothes being thrown out the upstairs window.” I went upstairs and asked Shane and his brother what they were doing. They said, they were mad at their sister and were moving her out.

Sherry, (Shane’ sister) was going to run away from home, the boys went with her so she would not get lost. They went up the street and turned right at the corner. They turned right at the next corner, and again at the next. When they showed up at the house they said they had to come home because they were not allowed to cross the street.

One day I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the hardwood floors in the living room. I was hot, sweaty, dirty, and miserable. Shane was outside playing with his brother and sister. They were to use the side door to come in and out. Shane waited until the last second to use the bathroom. He came running into the house, through the front door and across the floor I was scrubbing. I yelled “SHANE CRUM!” He stopped, looked at me, and said, ”Gee mom, you sure are beautiful.” I just looked at him, how can you get mad at that?

All women have good jewelry and costume jewelry. A woman came to my door with one of my good rings. She said Shane had given it to her daughter. She knew it was a good ring so she gave it back to me. When I asked him why he had given my ring to the little girl, he said he liked her, and that’s what boys do when they like a girl.

Once Shane came home crying because the other kids would not let him play ball because he could not catch. I told him I would go outside and teach him to catch. He had me put on one of his dads shirts, put my hair under a ball cap, and we had to go out back, before he allowed me to throw a ball to him. He said the other kids would make fun of him if they saw him playing with a girl.

A lot of people say you get religious when you go to prison. Shane was religious before he was arrested. He took his daughter (K.C.) to church on Sundays and Wednesdays, whenever he had her. Pasture Thiel (who was a character witness for Shane) was the pasture at Perry Baptist Church. He stayed in touch with him and sent him bible studies. Shane is loving and forgiving, who else would go through what he has, and still believe things work out for the best?

When I was young I didn’t pronounce my words correctly, the teachers would say spell the words the way you pronounce it. Needless to say I wasn’t very good in school. Shane is very smart. When he uses words I don’t understand, he would not only tell me what it means, but he would tell me the origin of the word. He has taught me a lot.

As you can see, Shane had a varied and interesting life. In many ways, not much different than most others, a life not many others could have handled the way he has. If you took a moment to get to know him yourself, you would know for certain that he is a really good person, and could never do something like what they have claimed. There are so many aspects to Shane, and the man he is today. A smart, loving, and funny young man, with many other qualities, too many others to list here. Yet, you can find out anything you want to know about him by taking time to know him yourself. We need your help to prove Shane’s innocence and get him home where he belongs.

We are hoping that someone out there will be able to directly help us, or put us in contact with someone who can (including experts and attorneys). If anyone has any comments or questions please contact us and Shane through this website.