1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,559 Speaker 1: Hey, girlfriends, it's Anna. Most of this episode takes place 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: in prison. There's going to be some mentions of murder 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: and some very serious domestic abuse, but you'll also get 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: to meet some more of the women Kelly got to 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: know while she was locked up, many of whom have 6 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 1: stories just as incredible and complex as hers. If you 7 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 1: feel impacted by some of the themes in this show, 8 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: you can reach out to No More. There are a 9 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 1: domestic violence charity with a lot of great resources to 10 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,639 Speaker 1: help you or your loved ones. You can search No 11 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: More dot org and we've also put a link to 12 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: their website in the episode description. And as you know, 13 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: we all swear a little bit. It's October twenty thirteen. 14 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: Alone in her cramp cell, surrounded by towering piles of 15 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: legal documents, Kelly Hannett relives her trial over and over. 16 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 2: I was broken apart clearly for the first few d's 17 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 2: asley I lead in bed. 18 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: Her fellow Ryker's Island shorties can't believe the jury's decision, She. 19 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 3: Says, she had been found guilty. Well, like kill, it 20 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 3: is not playing because Kelly is a joke starre too. 21 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: That's Angelica who you heard from an episode for Kelly's 22 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: friend with all the makeup tips. 23 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 4: She will say, Now they found me guilty, and she 24 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 4: broke down and we were shot in. 25 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:31,399 Speaker 3: All of us started crying like how like how is 26 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 3: that possible? 27 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: Kelly left the courtroom, promising herself that she would take 28 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: down the prosecutor from her trial, Assistant District Attorney Sean Clark. 29 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: But instead she's barely left herself for days. She's moping hard, 30 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: head deep under the covers. Eventually, Angelica decides enough is enough. 31 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 3: We had a rule, you have three days. 32 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 4: Of feeling sorry for yourself, and then you gotta get 33 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 4: out and figure it out, right D number three. 34 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 3: I borge into herself. 35 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 2: That's all right, she said, shouty, that's it. 36 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 3: It's cool. It's time to get up. 37 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 2: So I got up. I sat up, and she said 38 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 2: what are you doing? I mean, what are you doing? 39 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 2: I said, what do you want me to do? I 40 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 2: was found guilty? 41 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 5: You know that. 42 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 2: She goes, ah, guilty, shmilty. She said, look around, paperwork, paperwork, 43 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 2: paper All I see here is paperwork. 44 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 6: Kelly. 45 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 2: I said, yeah, I know, and it all went to nothing. 46 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 2: She goes, oh no it didn't. No, No, you're not 47 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 2: gonna go there with me. 48 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 4: Take your butt to that little library and figure something out. 49 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 3: Laying here is an option. You gotta get up, and 50 00:02:58,320 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 3: you gotta go. 51 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: I'm Anasonfield and from the teams at Novel and iHeart Podcasts, 52 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: This is the Girlfriend's Gelhouse. Lawyer is episode six, Guilty 53 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: Schmilty By November twenty thirteen, Inspired by Angelica's Tough Love, 54 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: Kelly is back in the Riker's law library. 55 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 2: I started looking through everything, and that's when I found 56 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 2: a three thirty statue. 57 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: At three thirty motion to set aside a verdict. 58 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 2: November fifth, twenty thirteen. It was my first motion that 59 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 2: I put in, was all in and written, and it 60 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 2: was sixty eight pages. 61 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: Kelly doesn't want to leave anything to chance with this document. 62 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: She picks up the phone and calls, of all people, 63 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: prosecutor Sean Clark, the man who's just got her sent 64 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 1: to prison. 65 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 2: I wasn't sure if he was going to hang up 66 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 2: on me or speak to me, but he did say, yeah, yeah, 67 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 2: I received it. I said, so, what would happen when 68 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 2: I go back to court? Probably nothing, It'll probably be adjourned. 69 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 2: And this was the beginning of a seventeen month war 70 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 2: of attrition. 71 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: For seventeen months. Kelly, a self taughtu our house lawyer, 72 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: holds her sentencing at bay, trying every legal avenue she 73 00:04:58,720 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: can find. 74 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 2: He wrote emotion. I wrote emotion. Maybe sometimes that every 75 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 2: opposition I wrote for, and it came to a point 76 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:13,799 Speaker 2: where they stopped answering me, so I kept writing motions anyway. 77 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: A lot of Kelly's motions focus on what's called the 78 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 1: Brady Rule. It states that all evidence from the police 79 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: and prosecution is meant to be turned over to the 80 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: other side, especially things that could benefit the defense. And 81 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: while it hasn't been proven, Kelly alleges that this Brady 82 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: Rule was violated and that some evidence wasn't handed over. 83 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: She also states that much of what's missing relates to 84 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: the problematic eyewitness Amando Perez. She found evidence in a 85 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: police officer's notepad that he was known by a different name. 86 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 2: They made a mistake, they didn't redact one of the 87 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 2: portions and it said witness Armando contreris Perez. 88 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: According to some online slew thing, Kelly's brother, rond Amando 89 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: Contreres Perez, well, he has some skeletons in his closet, 90 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 1: so I. 91 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 2: Witnessed my trial had an extensive criminal background that was 92 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 2: not turned over to me. Basically the biggest Brady violation 93 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 2: of all Kelly suspects. 94 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: Armando may have a criminal record, and that it could 95 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: have been white in exchange for his testimony against her, 96 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,919 Speaker 1: although this hasn't been proven, and while I've seen a 97 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 1: photocopy of the notebook with the Contrera's name in it, 98 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: I haven't been able to find these criminal records myself. 99 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: But that doesn't mean it's all just tinfoil hat nonsense either. 100 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: Prosecutors do strike deals with individuals who have criminal charges 101 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: or convictions in exchange for their testimony against someone else. 102 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: Then there are the moves Kelly Mankes that are a 103 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 1: little more unorthodox, especially when it comes to Judge Lasac. 104 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 2: I got a hold of his first grade teacher. 105 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: Kelly says. She makes then through a chaplain called Sister Eileen, 106 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: who she met at Riker's And Sister Eileen knew the 107 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 1: nun who taught at the judge's school. 108 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 2: So the first grade teacher called them back, and from 109 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 2: my understanding, she was really pushing him and prodding him, 110 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 2: like set this girl's verdict, decide, like listen, I'm your 111 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 2: first grade teacher. They tried the porn nuns. 112 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: Kelly says. She also manages to somehow find the number 113 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: for Judge lay Sack's best friend. She is nothing if 114 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: not resourceful. 115 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 2: I left a message on his best friend's voicemail telling 116 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 2: the best friend how I'm innocent and they've made a 117 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 2: huge mistake. 118 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: I'm sure this all went down great with Judge lay Sack. 119 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: Kelly battles on and on and on, but after holding 120 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: off her sentencing for nearly a year and a half, 121 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: she's exhausted all her possible motions. No more delays. It's 122 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: time to go back to court. It's March twenty fifteen. 123 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: Kelly Hannett is standing in the same courtroom where she 124 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: was found guilty seventeen months ago. It's time for her sentencing. 125 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: She's facing twenty five years to life. This is Kelly's 126 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: final opportunity to speak, and in true Kelly style, she's 127 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: taking full advantage of it. 128 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 2: I went on and on and on and on. I 129 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 2: was citing case law and constitutional violations. 130 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: I've seen the transcripts of this. It really does go 131 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: on for page after page. 132 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 2: All of these people were standing in front of me 133 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 2: as I went on and on and on, and I 134 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 2: looked at some of their faces and their mouths were 135 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 2: up and like shock and awe. That was one of 136 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 2: my proudest moments because I had the ada. She means 137 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:08,319 Speaker 2: Sean Clark suck in his teeth, sighing, and what does 138 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 2: it feel like? I felt like saying, like, you shut up, 139 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 2: it's my time now. 140 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: Kelly also says how sorry she is for Angel and 141 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: his family, but that she shouldn't be held responsible for 142 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: his murder. She says, I did not contribute to that 143 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: death in any way, shape or form. I was definitely 144 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 1: afraid of my co defendant. Kelly also says that had 145 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: she not done what she did, Tommy would have killed 146 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 1: her as well, and that instead of prosecuting a case 147 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 1: with one victim, it would have been too Kelly ends 148 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: her monologue by thanking Judge Lasak for his patients. Then 149 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 1: it's time for the judge to deliver his center, and 150 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,680 Speaker 1: he doesn't hold back. I've asked producer Jake to read 151 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 1: from the court transcripts. 152 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 7: We had to delay the sentence to allow you to 153 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,839 Speaker 7: make every three point thirty motion that you deemed necessary 154 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 7: to make. And it has been delayed for quite a 155 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 7: number of months. This is a very sad case. The 156 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 7: court takes no pleasure in any sentence, especially a sentence 157 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 7: regarding a case like this. You are not the victim 158 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 7: in this case, and you are not a witness. We 159 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 7: all make choices in life, Miss Harnett, on this particular 160 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 7: night July seventh, back in twenty ten, you were with 161 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 7: a person that you made a choice to be with, 162 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 7: mister Donovan. You had a choice to take ten years 163 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 7: on manslaughter plea, and you chose not to, just like 164 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 7: you chose to stay with mister Donovan, and you chose 165 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 7: not to try and stop him, and you chose to 166 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 7: give him that sneaker lace, and you chose to kick him, 167 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 7: kick mister Vargas when he was down on the ground. 168 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:19,200 Speaker 7: These are all choices that you made at that time. 169 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 7: And I'm sure Miss Harnett, you would wish you could 170 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 7: turn back the clock to July seventh, twenty ten and 171 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 7: act differently, and this never would have happened, and we 172 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 7: wouldn't be here and mister Vargas would be with his family. 173 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 7: But we have to deal with the reality, and the 174 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 7: reality is that you and mister Donovan acted in concert 175 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:52,559 Speaker 7: and killed him. 176 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: That was like a pretty terrifying transcript from her case, 177 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:58,559 Speaker 1: wasn't it. Yeah, you did this and you did that, 178 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: and this is who you are. You know, you are 179 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 1: not a victim in this case. You are not a witness. 180 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 7: It is heavy, it's really heavy. 181 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's that use of the word choice that you 182 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 1: chose to do this, you chose to do that. 183 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 7: There's no nuance in it for the judge. It feels 184 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 7: like the judge is almost like a representation of the 185 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 7: brick wall that like somebody in Kelly's position hits over 186 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 7: and over again as they try to just get understanding. 187 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it makes sense that after that experience, she's 188 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 1: become so passionate about trying to get people to really 189 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,319 Speaker 1: see who she is, you know, like to understand that 190 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: there's the like domestic violence aspect, as she said to me. 191 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 6: Yeah. 192 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:45,439 Speaker 1: On March twenty fifth, twenty fifteen, Kelly Harnett is sentenced 193 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: to a minimum of seventeen years in prison for the 194 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: murder of Reuben Angel Vargas and one year for the 195 00:12:53,400 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: criminal possession of a weapon a shoelace. In the eyes 196 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: of the law, Kelly is a murderer, a villain, not 197 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 1: a victim as she claims, And now she's finally going 198 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: where she belongs, Bedford Hill's Correctional Facility, the only maximum 199 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: security women's prison in the state of New York. When 200 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: Kelly gets to Bedford, She's immediately dropped into a new world. 201 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 1: She's out in the sticks of upstate New York, over 202 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 1: forty miles away from her family back in Queens and 203 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 1: away from her Riker's Island. Shorties after arriving, Kelly's brought 204 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:43,080 Speaker 1: to an area known as the Jungle. 205 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 2: Why was it called the jungle because they're crazy. They 206 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 2: set their cells on fire on a regular basis. One 207 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,560 Speaker 2: time there was the fire, but I hadn't been able 208 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 2: to use the phone for a week, so since everyone ran, 209 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 2: I ran into the phone room so I could finally 210 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 2: make a phone call. And I was like, well, when 211 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 2: the fiery gets really bad, I'll run. Like this is 212 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 2: how crazy it is in there. 213 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: But underneath all the chaos, many of Kelly's fellow inmates 214 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: are lifeless. 215 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 2: Bad fruit. Everybody's dead. Everybody's dead inside. They're walking around, 216 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 2: but there's nothing in there. 217 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 1: Locked up away from her family, away from the world 218 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 1: surrounded by women so broken they're almost more zombie than human. 219 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: It would be understandable for anyone to throw in the 220 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: towel and join the walking dead. But this is Kelly Harnett. 221 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: She hasn't given up so far, and she's sure is 222 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: shit not going to give up now. Every morning, in 223 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: her green prison uniform, Kelly sits in her cell, in 224 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: front of her mirror and brings herself to life. 225 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 2: I made sure that under my state greens that I 226 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 2: always had a T shirt on that was a different 227 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:03,440 Speaker 2: color than green, and that had to match my eyeshadow 228 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 2: as well as my lipstick every day and usually my earrings, 229 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 2: and I always wore a headband that matched that, because 230 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 2: that's a sense of individuality. I'm Kelly cloaked in a 231 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 2: guilty person's uniform, but I wanted the individuality to shine 232 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 2: through because I'm not guilty. I realized that when you're 233 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 2: just a detainee. 234 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: Meaning still a ways in your trial, you have. 235 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 2: Life and hope and whatnot. Now these people are walking 236 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 2: around with these twenty five to life sentences and they're hopeless. 237 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 2: I know so much about the law, so my first 238 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 2: thing was Jesus Christ, I have to help these people out. 239 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: Kelly's the first couple of weeks keeping her head down 240 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: getting to know the lay of the land, but she 241 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: can't stay away from the law library for too long. 242 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 1: And it's in there that Kelly starts to find people 243 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 1: who can relate to all the frankly fucking crazy experiences 244 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 1: she's had while locked up. 245 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 2: One day, I started talking to him about how Riker's 246 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 2: iamon wanted to cut my leg off one time and 247 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 2: they had the wrong person. They literally wanted to amputate 248 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 2: my leg. Then they told me I had a tumor, 249 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 2: and I busted out laughing. I said, bring me back 250 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 2: to the unit. Me and my tumor would like to 251 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 2: leave now. I didn't have a tumor. 252 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: So he was overhearing Kelly holding court is one of 253 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: the prison officers. I'm just going to refer to him 254 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 1: as the officer from here on out. 255 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 2: He actually started laughing. He said, Jesus, I thought it 256 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 2: was bed here. And then he started speaking to me, 257 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 2: and clearly I wanted to jump there, so I inquired, 258 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:09,120 Speaker 2: and immediately he asked me, like, do you have any experience? 259 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 2: And I said a little bit. 260 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:18,360 Speaker 1: Kelly is intrigued by the officer. There's something different about him. 261 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,120 Speaker 1: He doesn't treat her like an inmate, like a number. 262 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: He's attentive. By August twenty fifteen, Kelly becomes a qualified 263 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 1: law clerk here in Bedford, making about twenty four cents 264 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:37,640 Speaker 1: an hour. Kelly's back where she loves to be, neck 265 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 1: deep in a bunch of legal papers with a list 266 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:42,680 Speaker 1: of grateful clients as long as her arm. 267 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 2: I don't know how many motions I rolled. I was 268 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 2: doing so much work. 269 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 1: And rather than embarrass myself by trying to explain the 270 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:55,880 Speaker 1: complicated legal tactics being offered to the women of Bedford. 271 00:17:55,480 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 2: Hills, now it gets a little complex because for just vacation. 272 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 1: I'll leave it to Kelly Harnett esquire. 273 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 2: I wrote her brief, and it was due to a 274 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:12,640 Speaker 2: justification to fancountcy CPL three thirty thirty. Yet, like I said, 275 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 2: martians satisided vertict mass up section one of three thirty thirty, 276 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:19,680 Speaker 2: which they said it must be two scent. There was 277 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,200 Speaker 2: the weight of the evidence that behavior's corpus. I could 278 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 2: always do an article seventy eight, which would be directing 279 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 2: that the jury was wrong to date, I could reiterate everything, 280 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 2: including all of the cases. I became a person full 281 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 2: of hope for so many people at Bedford. 282 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: But Kelly's not content with just inspiring hope. She wants 283 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: to do something big, something she says, no female Geilhouse 284 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,400 Speaker 1: lawyer in the state of New York has ever done before. 285 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 1: With this in mind, one day she asked the officer 286 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 1: a question. 287 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:02,880 Speaker 2: How many people have got and other incarcerated individuals out 288 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:10,959 Speaker 2: of here? He goes, like, you mean other inmates. Nobody's 289 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 2: ever done that? I said nobody. He said no. I said, 290 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 2: I'm going to be the first one to do that. 291 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 2: He looked at me. He goes, I hope you are. 292 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 3: I hope you are. 293 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:53,359 Speaker 1: If I asked you to picture Kelly in prison, what's 294 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 1: the moment that you're seeing in your head. 295 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 5: Her yelling out of her cell or her door to open. 296 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:05,119 Speaker 1: This is Trinity. She was in prison with Kelly. They 297 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: lived on the same block, but they first met in 298 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: the law library. 299 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 2: She's gonna laugh when she hears it. 300 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 5: I'm telling you, she's gonna laugh because she knows what 301 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,639 Speaker 5: I'm talking about. 302 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: Every morning at Bedford Hill's correctional facility, all inmates are 303 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: woken by the sound of their cell doors opening. 304 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:25,159 Speaker 5: They all open at once. 305 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,199 Speaker 1: All except Kelly's. 306 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 5: Every single day she had to yell to get her 307 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,400 Speaker 5: door open, open, three open, three. 308 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 2: Open like you can you can like wait for it. 309 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:44,400 Speaker 5: All the doors would open, bam open three every single 310 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,399 Speaker 5: day like it got Oh my god, like I literally 311 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:48,440 Speaker 5: lost my mind over. 312 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 1: Trinity is thirty years old now, but she went to 313 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:54,919 Speaker 1: prison when she was just a teenager. 314 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 5: Like Kelly, I have a domestic violence case. When I 315 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:02,479 Speaker 5: was seventeen, I was with my father. My dad has 316 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 5: always been like an alcoholic and a pretty abusive towards 317 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 5: us growing up. My incident was it happened in July 318 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 5: twenty twelve. The short version is that my father was 319 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 5: drunk and tried to kill me, and I ended up 320 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,640 Speaker 5: killing him and then I got arrested. 321 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: Trinity's story is depressingly similar to so many of the 322 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:36,240 Speaker 1: women I've spoken to while making this series, women who've 323 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:40,440 Speaker 1: experienced a life full of violence and extreme trauma, setting 324 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: them on a catastrophic path. Often they had to come 325 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: to prison to finally be free of their abuses and 326 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 1: to find a real family. 327 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 5: In Bedford, Like we have nothing to do, so it's 328 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 5: like we just talk or laugh or play games or something, 329 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 5: watch a movie or whatever. One time we were playing 330 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 5: this boarding I think it was from my birthday party, 331 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 5: something like scategories, where it's like you had to roll 332 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 5: the die with the letter and then you had to 333 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 5: like try to like write down all the things that 334 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 5: began in that letter. So it was like different types 335 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 5: of cars, and the letter started with h I'm thinking 336 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 5: like a Honda. 337 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: Kelly's team mate is doing some more let's say lateral thinking. 338 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 5: Her partner said a hearse and it was so funny, 339 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:32,119 Speaker 5: and Kelly thought it was the funniest thing. I mean, 340 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:35,439 Speaker 5: she was laughing for so long and it made me 341 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:36,160 Speaker 5: laugh too. 342 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: Yeah. Wanting to stop her Badford family from becoming totally hopeless. 343 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:45,400 Speaker 1: Like so many of her fellow inmates, Kelly pushes them 344 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 1: to relook into their own cases, like she's doing with hers. 345 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 5: Kelly taught me that you can get out on a technicality, 346 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:55,680 Speaker 5: like an infraction like something like that. So she encouraged me, 347 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,120 Speaker 5: you know, like read your transcripts, go over it. If 348 00:22:58,160 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 5: it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have done that. More 349 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:00,400 Speaker 5: than likely. 350 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: Working alongside Kelly in the law library, Trinity can see 351 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,440 Speaker 1: how many inmates are relying on her. Kelly sees the 352 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 1: benefits too. 353 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 2: I had the protection from the Law Library. If somebody 354 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,960 Speaker 2: tried me, I always tell them like, listen, this is 355 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,760 Speaker 2: something you don't want to do, because I guarantee you 356 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,440 Speaker 2: you will need me at some point in your bid. 357 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:27,280 Speaker 2: And then other people would finally say, oh, this one 358 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 2: you don't touch like anybody else. I don't care. But 359 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 2: it's just because I was like the only lawyer you know, 360 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:38,160 Speaker 2: Jelhouse lawyer. Obviously, Yeah, the. 361 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:41,879 Speaker 1: Law Library offers physical protection from the other inmates, but 362 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: it's so much more important to Kelly than that. It's 363 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: her sacred safe space. But then something happens, something that 364 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:56,680 Speaker 1: puts Kelly at risk of losing the law library job 365 00:23:56,800 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: she's worked so hard for. Kelly begins to spend more 366 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: time with the officer. He's been so helpful to her 367 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 1: throughout her incarceration so far, and as Kelly sees it, 368 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 1: he's one of the few good men she's met in 369 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 1: her life. But one day, Kelly says, their relationship crosses 370 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: a line from prison guard and prisoner into something else. 371 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, he definitely he put the moons on me. He 372 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:28,199 Speaker 2: started touching me and things of that nature. I'm not 373 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 2: going to lie. When we kissed for the first time, 374 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 2: that felt nice. I wanted to feel love, and when 375 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 2: you're taken away from human contact for so long, just 376 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:51,640 Speaker 2: this feels good. I always just wanted to kiss and 377 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 2: like a hub I felt a lot when I kissed him, 378 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 2: and he said that he felt a lot too, And 379 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 2: then I was to get excited like I have a boyfriend. 380 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:13,640 Speaker 1: Deep down, Kelly knows what the officer is doing isn't right. 381 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 2: It was weird. It was kind of maybe like they 382 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 2: call it grooming. 383 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:23,400 Speaker 1: I felt violated in every prison, not only in New York, 384 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:27,120 Speaker 1: but across the whole of the USA. Sexual or intimate 385 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:31,880 Speaker 1: relationships between prison officers and inmates are forbidden, and it's 386 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:35,400 Speaker 1: not just against the rules, it's a crime. Even if 387 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,159 Speaker 1: both the officer and inmate claim it was consensual, the 388 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: law wouldn't agree. The power and balances involved are just 389 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: too great. 390 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:45,919 Speaker 2: I felt that I couldn't tell him no. 391 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,240 Speaker 1: Kelly's worried what if this could jeopardize her access to 392 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:51,200 Speaker 1: the law library. 393 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 2: The law library is my life, and without the law library, 394 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 2: I'll probably never get home. 395 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: Kelly also knows how many of her fellow in mates 396 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:01,400 Speaker 1: are depending on her. 397 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,680 Speaker 2: I'm gonna let the whole facility down if this ever 398 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:08,719 Speaker 2: gets out, because I'm taking care of everyone's cases, and 399 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 2: what would everyone ever do? So I felt that I 400 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 2: had to let him do these things to me. 401 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 1: Eventually, Kelly says, the officer reveals a different side of himself. 402 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:25,000 Speaker 2: He became abusive right along with the rest of them. 403 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,359 Speaker 2: I would come in one day and he would like 404 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:32,440 Speaker 2: slam the book down and be like demanding get these cases. 405 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 2: I didn't even do anything to him. He had me 406 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 2: going so crazy, roller coaster of emotions. I was like, 407 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:41,399 Speaker 2: what did I do wrong? 408 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:45,359 Speaker 1: Kelly says. The officer would win her back on side. 409 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 1: He would spin her bullshit about how the two of 410 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,199 Speaker 1: them would be together once she got out of prison. 411 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 2: This went on for two and a half years. 412 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 1: One day it all comes to a head. 413 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 2: On my birthday. He wrote a note to me that 414 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:08,120 Speaker 2: stated something about I can't wait to give the birthday 415 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:10,720 Speaker 2: girl a kiss in playland. 416 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 1: Playland and honestly, I'm so fucking grossed out that I 417 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 1: have to repeat that word in this context is code 418 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:22,160 Speaker 1: for the bathroom that the officer would allegedly sneak Kelly into. 419 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 2: Somebody found the note, so they know that we're having 420 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 2: a relationship. 421 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:37,119 Speaker 1: The person who finds the note is Trinity. 422 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 5: Something told me to keep it. And then I told 423 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 5: another one of my friends, not knowing that that other 424 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:51,480 Speaker 5: friend also had a relationship with him. 425 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 1: Another inmate that the officer is accused of having an 426 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:54,879 Speaker 1: inappropriate relationship with. 427 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was bear Stard, I guess was screwing around 428 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:05,879 Speaker 2: some with both of us at the same time. I 429 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:09,200 Speaker 2: came in like a raging bull and I went ballistic 430 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,600 Speaker 2: on him and I called him like every name in 431 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 2: the book that. I said, you little bastard. What you 432 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,160 Speaker 2: can't get a girl on the outside, so you come 433 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:26,159 Speaker 2: to prison to pray on the weak and vulnerable. You're sick. 434 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 2: And I said, I'm telling you right now, I'm going 435 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 2: to take this little library and use it to convict you. 436 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 2: And then he was like, oh it stop. Please. I said, 437 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 2: you're going to jail and you're going to be somebody's bitch. 438 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 2: He started crying and then he tells me, please don't 439 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:56,480 Speaker 2: do this. I'm going to kill myself. I told him 440 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 2: that Tommy used to say that to me, and he 441 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 2: said to me you know what, you should have said, 442 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 2: do what you got to do. So when he said 443 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 2: I'm going to kill myself, I said, do what you 444 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 2: gotta do. 445 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 1: Kelly tells the prison about what's happened between her and 446 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 1: the officer. I've seen the documents to prove this, but 447 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 1: she says she doesn't get much of a response. 448 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,080 Speaker 2: They didn't take it seriously at all. As a matter 449 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 2: of fact, I told them that Trinity has the letter. 450 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:35,480 Speaker 2: They went out of their way to not call Trinity 451 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 2: so that they wouldn't get evidence. 452 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: There is one person who comes to Kelly's aid, someone unexpected, 453 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: the man who helped send her to prison in the 454 00:29:48,720 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 1: first place, Assistant District Attorney Sean Clark. Most of the 455 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 1: men in Kelly's life have not treated her the way 456 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: they should have. They've often been controlling, abusive, and at 457 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: times extremely violent. Seems like the officer was just the 458 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: latest in that long, unfortunate line. Kelly's brother Ronnie, has 459 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: really been the only exception, well apart from one other man. 460 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to tell you about the curious case of 461 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:46,560 Speaker 1: Kelly Harnett and Prosecutor Sean Clark. Their unusual relationship first 462 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 1: began in the months between Kelly's verdict and her sentencing, 463 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:52,760 Speaker 1: when she started calling Sean on the phone. 464 00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 2: Hi, Sean, it's Kelly, who was usually like, Hi, Kelly, 465 00:30:57,640 --> 00:30:58,680 Speaker 2: what is it this time? 466 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,320 Speaker 1: Often Kelly would be calling to contest some part of 467 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:04,840 Speaker 1: her case, or learying out what kind of motions she 468 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 1: thought should be filed. I can't stress enough how unusual 469 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,960 Speaker 1: this all is. Defendants in murder trials do not call 470 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: up their prosecutors for a chit chat about the finer 471 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:20,480 Speaker 1: details of their case. But Kelly says she just wanted 472 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:24,280 Speaker 1: Sean to see her as a person, not just some defendant. 473 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 2: I'm not a number, I'm not a case. I was 474 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:33,000 Speaker 2: trying to show him the level of humanity that they 475 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:36,800 Speaker 2: never see, and I think he was starting to see it. 476 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 1: Kelly wasn't just calling him up. She was sending him 477 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:45,640 Speaker 1: some special deliveries. 478 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 2: I would make comic books of what was going on 479 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 2: between me, Sean Clark, and mister Murder. 480 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:57,240 Speaker 1: When Kelly says mister murder, she means Judge lasac As 481 00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 1: for Sean Clark. Do you remember in our last episode 482 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:01,880 Speaker 1: where Kelly said he looked kind of like Clark Kent? 483 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: She was really serious about that. 484 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 2: I had people sending me Superman comics all the time, right, 485 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:10,600 Speaker 2: and Supergirl. Supergirl had blonde hair. 486 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 1: You can probably guess who Kelly put in the role 487 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:15,560 Speaker 1: of the blonde haired Supergirl. 488 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 2: I cut out Clark Kent, and then Supergirl. I cut 489 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 2: her out and she was walking by a door. I 490 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:27,720 Speaker 2: roll on the door while library, right, and then Supergirl 491 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 2: in the comic. I didn't have to touch it or 492 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 2: alter it. It actually said Clark, is that you I 493 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:39,680 Speaker 2: can speak your language? Now, no way, that's right. It 494 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 2: was the first one I sent him. I waited till 495 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:46,280 Speaker 2: I knew he got it. Then I called him up. 496 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:49,080 Speaker 2: I was like, maybe he's gonna be really ticked off 497 00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:54,680 Speaker 2: about this. He was like, Hi, Kelly, I could hear 498 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 2: him smiling through the phone, you know, when you could 499 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 2: just he was almost giggling, Like you could just hear 500 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 2: his voice went up a few decibels. I never wanted 501 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,560 Speaker 2: to harass him per se, but I think you could 502 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 2: suck up a few phone calls. 503 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, absolutely. But did you ever worry that you 504 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,640 Speaker 1: might be jeopardizing your chances more than helping? Not at all. 505 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 2: No, no, because what are they going to do put 506 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 2: into evidence? A piece of a comic book like That's 507 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 2: why I made sure I left it at like these 508 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:33,239 Speaker 2: ridiculous things that they would almost feel stupid bringing up, 509 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:34,960 Speaker 2: and nobody ever brought it up. 510 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, you're a very unique person, Kelly. Thank you. 511 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:43,720 Speaker 2: I take that as a compliment. 512 00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:48,640 Speaker 1: It's a compliment. It is a compliment for sure. These 513 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:52,960 Speaker 1: conversations between Sean and Kelly lasted well beyond her sentencing. 514 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:57,239 Speaker 2: I've even recorded Sean Clark and then called him up 515 00:33:57,360 --> 00:34:00,080 Speaker 2: afterwards and said, I, Shanna just wanted to let you 516 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 2: know that on the last two conversations I recorded you 517 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:05,239 Speaker 2: and I'm going to get them transcribed and I'm going 518 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 2: to submit them in my. 519 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 6: Four forty ten. 520 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 2: He just stopped. 521 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:12,839 Speaker 6: He was like, oh, okay, Kelly, thanks for the heads up. 522 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:17,640 Speaker 2: After that, I said, that's going to be it. He's 523 00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:20,759 Speaker 2: never going to take a call again. I waited for 524 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:23,399 Speaker 2: like two months. I called him back. He didn't hang 525 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:25,359 Speaker 2: up on me. He was just a little bit more 526 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:26,279 Speaker 2: cautious after that. 527 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:30,239 Speaker 1: It wasn't just Kelly who Sean was in contact with. 528 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:32,759 Speaker 1: Kelly says he also made a lot of time for 529 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:37,240 Speaker 1: her family too. Her brother started calling him. In fact, 530 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:40,120 Speaker 1: it seems like During this time, Sean's going out of 531 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:46,200 Speaker 1: his way to help Kelly's case before her sentencing. He 532 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:49,759 Speaker 1: even sends her a transcript of the witness's testimony, where 533 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: he'd healthily marked up and notated certain sections that just 534 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:58,279 Speaker 1: happened to include the problematic points in his story. I've 535 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:01,799 Speaker 1: literally seen a copy of this. I still can't quite 536 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:06,320 Speaker 1: believe it's real. A sitting assistant DA sending a cheat 537 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:09,280 Speaker 1: sheet to the same woman he's trying to send to prison. 538 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:14,920 Speaker 1: I've already struggled with unsuccessfully fitting Kelly into a nice 539 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:20,320 Speaker 1: neat podcast shaped box, and now his Sean Clark, also 540 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:25,160 Speaker 1: not playing the role I expected him to play. It is, 541 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:30,279 Speaker 1: from his side, a very odd relationship to be keeping up. 542 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 1: I can see why you were doing it. 543 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:36,320 Speaker 2: You know why, I believe. I mean, I can't speak 544 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:39,440 Speaker 2: for him. I don't know if you've ever read the 545 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:44,320 Speaker 2: telltale heart Egger Owl Poe. I think a guy killed somebody. 546 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:47,720 Speaker 2: If I'm not mistaken, somebody was buried under the floorboards, 547 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:52,080 Speaker 2: and you just kept hearing like beat beat, beat, louder 548 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:54,839 Speaker 2: and louder and louder, And it was the man's conscience 549 00:35:54,960 --> 00:36:04,200 Speaker 2: the whole time. He did ask me one time, Kelly. 550 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:07,200 Speaker 6: Can I ask you a question, Why didn't you just 551 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 6: take the plea? So? 552 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 2: I said, because I didn't do it, Sean, I'm one 553 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:17,040 Speaker 2: hundred percent innocent. And to tell you this, she was, Sean, 554 00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:20,000 Speaker 2: if I have to stay in prison for the rest 555 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:24,239 Speaker 2: of my life and die here, I'd rather that than 556 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:26,640 Speaker 2: to lie and say that I did something I didn't do. 557 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:29,840 Speaker 2: He gave this heavy sigh. 558 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:35,440 Speaker 6: And he goes, Wow, you did always maintain your innocence. 559 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:40,360 Speaker 1: I wrote to Sean Clark asking him to comment on 560 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 1: the unusual relationship he had with Kelly, to ask why 561 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 1: he kept up those phone calls for so long, to 562 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:49,160 Speaker 1: confirm if he spoke to her family, and if he 563 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:52,440 Speaker 1: really did send those transcripts. And I got a reply, 564 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:56,880 Speaker 1: but not from Sean. It was from the Queen's District 565 00:36:56,960 --> 00:37:02,960 Speaker 1: Attorney's spokesman, Brendan A. And Brendan didn't really respond to 566 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 1: anything I asked, like at all. He just doubled down. 567 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:11,000 Speaker 1: Here's producer Jake reading from their response. 568 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:17,040 Speaker 7: On July seventh, twenty ten, Thomas Donovan and Kelly Harnett 569 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:20,719 Speaker 7: murdered thirty two year old victim Reuben Angel Vargas an 570 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:25,280 Speaker 7: Astoria Park, Harnett repeatedly kicked the victim while Donovan manually 571 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:29,000 Speaker 7: strangled him. Hartnett handed a shoelace to Donovan, who then 572 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 7: used the lace as a ligature to further strangle and 573 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:36,600 Speaker 7: kill the victim. An eyewitness's account was further corroborated by 574 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:40,320 Speaker 7: the medical examiner, who found that strangulation was the cause 575 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:44,280 Speaker 7: of mister Vargas's death. It took a jury of Harnet's 576 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:48,919 Speaker 7: peers two hours to unanimously agree on a conviction. Miss 577 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:56,000 Speaker 7: Harnett repeatedly attempted communications with the prosecuting attorney, unsolicited and uninvited, 578 00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:02,080 Speaker 7: despite overwhelming evidence of her guilt. In numerous court filings, 579 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:06,640 Speaker 7: the defendant blamed her attorney, the court, the district attorney's office, 580 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:11,000 Speaker 7: the jury, and the eyewakness. She blamed everyone but herself 581 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:12,520 Speaker 7: for her guilty conduct. 582 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 1: It feels like neither Brendan nor I can really speak 583 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:22,400 Speaker 1: to why Sean Clark kept up this strange back and 584 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:26,560 Speaker 1: forth with Kelly. It's possible he felt some doubts about 585 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:29,880 Speaker 1: Kelly's conviction. Maybe as he got to know her more, 586 00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:32,239 Speaker 1: he saw her more as a victim and not the 587 00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:35,640 Speaker 1: villain he claimed. She was back in twenty thirteen. Maybe 588 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:39,120 Speaker 1: he was trying to make up for that, or maybe 589 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:41,439 Speaker 1: he's just a good guy who wants to help where 590 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:45,560 Speaker 1: he can, including with Kelly's case against the officer. 591 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:49,319 Speaker 2: My brother got in touch with Sean Clark and told 592 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:53,279 Speaker 2: him what was happening. Peta Ronnie. I guarantee you we're 593 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:54,400 Speaker 2: going to get rid of him. 594 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:57,400 Speaker 1: Kelly says. Sean makes some calls to the department who 595 00:38:57,480 --> 00:38:58,839 Speaker 1: are handling the investigation. 596 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,760 Speaker 2: Now they're taking me seriously, they said, because we're getting 597 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:03,480 Speaker 2: phone calls. 598 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:03,880 Speaker 6: Now. 599 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:07,240 Speaker 2: He really did save me, Sewan' Clark. 600 00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:12,320 Speaker 1: The officer doesn't face any jail time, despite the fact 601 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:15,720 Speaker 1: that Kelly says she and the other inmate the officer 602 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:19,560 Speaker 1: was allegedly involved with both gave statements. 603 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:23,799 Speaker 2: Western to the County District Attorney's office decided that there 604 00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:28,799 Speaker 2: was insufficient evidence to go through and prosecute him under 605 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:31,920 Speaker 2: Penal Law one thirty, which is a sex offender. 606 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:34,799 Speaker 1: This is why I can't tell you his real name. 607 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:39,200 Speaker 1: Because no charges were brought against him. He still legally 608 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:40,960 Speaker 1: has the presumption of innocence. 609 00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:45,200 Speaker 2: It was just such a traumatic situation. 610 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:46,200 Speaker 3: It really was. 611 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:48,440 Speaker 2: For it to have gone on for two and a 612 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:57,439 Speaker 2: half years too, and then the worst came. They took 613 00:39:57,480 --> 00:39:58,120 Speaker 2: my job for. 614 00:39:58,239 --> 00:40:03,800 Speaker 1: Me working as a clerk in the law library. Being 615 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:07,279 Speaker 1: the jail house lawyer, both back in Rikers and here 616 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:11,920 Speaker 1: in Bedford, has been Kelly's one continuous source of strength 617 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:18,120 Speaker 1: throughout her long incarceration. It gave Kelly suffering some meaning, 618 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:21,719 Speaker 1: kept her fighting all these years, not just for her 619 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:27,480 Speaker 1: own case, but for all her fellow inmate clients. Without 620 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 1: the law library, Kelly can't see how she can help anyone, 621 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:36,560 Speaker 1: let alone prove her own innocence. And worst of all, 622 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:42,480 Speaker 1: if she's not the jailhouse lawyer, then she's just another prisoner, 623 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:49,160 Speaker 1: another villain with a guilty verdict, joining the ranks of 624 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:50,120 Speaker 1: the walking dead. 625 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:53,520 Speaker 2: That's the worst thing you could have done to me. 626 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:58,439 Speaker 2: That's when I just freaked out. 627 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:05,600 Speaker 1: Next time on the Girlfriend's Gelhouse Lawyer. 628 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:10,120 Speaker 2: I think I'm gonna die here. It was a race 629 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:10,960 Speaker 2: against time. 630 00:41:11,120 --> 00:41:14,640 Speaker 4: Now I'm not thinking of her helping me, I'm thinking 631 00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:15,680 Speaker 4: of me helping her. 632 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:18,640 Speaker 2: Listen, this new lodge is pissed in. 633 00:41:19,160 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 1: She took Kelly's keys. 634 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:22,600 Speaker 2: I just started screaming. 635 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:23,160 Speaker 6: I was like. 636 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:43,839 Speaker 1: The Girlfriend's Jaelhouse Lawyer is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. 637 00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:48,359 Speaker 1: For more from novel, visit novel dot Audio. The show 638 00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:51,120 Speaker 1: is hosted by me Anna Sinfield and is written and 639 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:55,040 Speaker 1: produced by me and Lee Meyer, with additional production from 640 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:59,719 Speaker 1: Jako Taivich and Michael Jinno. Our assistant producer is Madeline pa. 641 00:42:00,239 --> 00:42:04,840 Speaker 1: The editors are Georgia Moody and me Annasinfield. Production management 642 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:09,120 Speaker 1: from Sarie Houston, Joe Savage, and Charlotte Wolfe. Our fact 643 00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:13,719 Speaker 1: checker is Daniel Suleiman. Sound design, mixing and scoring by 644 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:18,840 Speaker 1: Daniel Kempson and Nicholas Alexander. Music supervision by me Alis Infield, 645 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:24,319 Speaker 1: Lee Meyer and Nicholas Alexander. Original music composed by Nicholas Alexander, 646 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:29,279 Speaker 1: Daniel Kempson and Louisa Gerstein. Story development by Nell Gray 647 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:34,080 Speaker 1: Andrews and Willard Foxton. Creative director of Novel, Max O'Brien 648 00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:38,040 Speaker 1: and Craig Strachan are executive producers for Novel, and Katrina 649 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:42,239 Speaker 1: Norvell and Nicki Eatoor are the executive producers for iHeart Podcasts, 650 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:45,719 Speaker 1: and the marketing lead is Alison Cantor. Thanks also to 651 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:48,680 Speaker 1: Carrie Lieberman and the whole team at WME