1 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: On March twenty fourth, two thousand and one, the body 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: of Howard Rose was discovered inside a burnt out pickup 3 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: truck on Interstate ninety in Pennsylvania. The night before, police 4 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: had responded to suspicious activity outside the Ohio home of 5 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 1: Arquita Willis. Two men sped off and were apprehended, both 6 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: of whom gave statements that Willis had killed Rose and 7 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: asked them to help dispose of his body. Soon after, 8 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: Willis was arrested, threatened with a death penalty, and she 9 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: told police that her former fling, a guy named Marcus Blaylock, 10 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: was the shooter and that he had disposed of the 11 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: body on I ninety alone. Despite obvious falsehoods and multiple 12 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:50,160 Speaker 1: changes to her story, not even nineteen alibi witnesses could 13 00:00:50,200 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: save Marcus. This is wrongful conviction. You're listening to wrongful conviction. 14 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: You can listen to this and all the Lava for 15 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:08,199 Speaker 1: Good podcasts one week early and ad free by subscribing 16 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Welcome back 17 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: to Wrangful Conviction, where today we have another case out 18 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: of Kuyahoga County. I mean, they just keep on coming, 19 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: and this is one of the capitals, if not the 20 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: wrongful conviction capital of this country. And joining us is 21 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: one of our favorite attorneys who's very active in this space. 22 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: Kim Coral, welcome. 23 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 2: Back, Thank you, thanks for having. 24 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: Me and joining us from an Ohio correctional facility where 25 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: he never belonged, but he's been there for over twenty 26 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: four long years. The man himself, Marcus Blaylock, Marcus, thank 27 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: you for joining us. 28 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 3: Sure, I appreciate it. 29 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: And Marcus was originally Bordingland, but soon moved out to 30 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: a nearby suburb called Maple Heights, or really a sub 31 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: section of that suburb. 32 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 3: We moved out to Maple Heights seventy five seventy six 33 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 3: at the time. It's a predominantly white area and the 34 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 3: area that I grew up in was called President's Road. 35 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 3: The railroad tracks run behind it, so those houses are cheaper, 36 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 3: so they put the blacks in that area. So the 37 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 3: blacks in that area, they kind of stuck together. So 38 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 3: I had a good childhood. I played sports, football, wrestle, 39 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 3: ran track, and then at the age of fourteen, I 40 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 3: got a job working at the local hardware store, and 41 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,519 Speaker 3: the community stuck together in that area. I appreciated that. 42 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 3: But what I didn't appreciate was the police, because the 43 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 3: police were very prejudiced. Not even a brown person, not 44 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 3: a black person, not an Asian person, nothing, just all 45 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 3: white police force. Just say, if a white kid across 46 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 3: Broadway get their bike stolen, the first place they're coming 47 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 3: to look for that bike is in President's role. And 48 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 3: then it seems like I was being singled out. And 49 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 3: it was one main cop who ended up turning into 50 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 3: a detective. Why was he always asking me about this 51 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 3: and about that? But I come to find out that 52 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 3: he was also working at Sears. My mother retired from Sears, 53 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,839 Speaker 3: so he knew my mom. And the other cop who 54 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 3: ended up being the detective all Henderson went to high 55 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 3: school with my oldest sister. So I got these cops 56 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 3: asking me questions this periodically and if somebody's having a 57 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 3: house party and a fight breakout. Seems like I was 58 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 3: always being targeted, like hey, Mark, who was doing all 59 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 3: the fighting or who was doing this? And who? I 60 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 3: don't know. As I got older, I'm not saying I 61 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 3: was an angel. I got into mischief stuff, like my 62 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 3: last year of high school. Even though I worked, I 63 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 3: had a little hustle, I got caught with some marijuana 64 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 3: and some other drugs. I ended up getting probation or 65 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 3: whatever for that, so Dad kept the police on me, 66 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 3: even when years later when I stopped. 67 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: Now, we've seen a lot of cases where a connection 68 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: to drugs made our guests the target of a frame job. 69 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: But by two thousand and one, Mark was thirty two 70 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: years old and he had built a successful landscaping company. 71 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 3: That landscaping company ended up being very profitable for me. 72 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:21,919 Speaker 3: I ended up having a lot of contracts with the county, 73 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 3: so I'm with the city and helped me with money 74 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 3: to put down to buy a house for my family 75 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 3: that was off Libby. 76 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 1: And while Marcus had moved into the white part of town, 77 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: it was some of his old acquaintances from President's Row, 78 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: Dion Johnson, Ernest McCauley, and Arkeda Willis who dragged him 79 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:40,559 Speaker 1: into this case. 80 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 3: Arqita growing up, she just wasn't my type at the time, 81 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 3: but years later I ended up having a friends with 82 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 3: benefits or so you want to say, relationship with her 83 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 3: that turned into something else. And then when I cut 84 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 3: it off, it wasn't tooken in a great way. It 85 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 3: was like she hated me after that. But Dion was 86 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 3: a friend and cuts hair. He's a barber, so used 87 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 3: to cut our hair and whatnot. And honest, he was 88 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 3: a friend of mine. And when he was released from 89 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 3: a federal prison after doing five years, I got this business, 90 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 3: I got this home. I gave him a job. 91 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: He also gave him a cell phone that was registered 92 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: to Marx Landscaping Business, which was about to score a 93 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: major contract. 94 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 3: And this contract was to service the children's playgrounds and 95 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 3: the top lots in the city. But this contract was 96 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 3: not publicized. The same Italian company, we're getting this contract 97 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 3: for the last five years. So at the time, Maple 98 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 3: Heights had just elected their first black councilman. So he 99 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 3: came to my mom and told my mom, Hey, have 100 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 3: Marcus call me. It's like they got this contract coming up. 101 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 3: They haven't even publicized it. They keep giving it to 102 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 3: the same company. We're going to back you and make 103 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 3: sure that you get this contract. 104 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: And even though he had the lowest bid, the contract 105 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,799 Speaker 1: went to the incumbent company. The council member encouraged Marcus 106 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: to contest that decision at the upcoming meeting. 107 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 3: Now, mind you, at this council meeting. You have the 108 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 3: chief of police, the mayor, seven council people, the fire chief. 109 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 3: You have one of the two detectives that frame me 110 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 3: for this crime. I haven't had any run ins with 111 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 3: Maple Heist police or the police period. In over five years. 112 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 3: Everything is going smooth for me. My business is going great. 113 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:26,599 Speaker 3: So I'm kind of leary to go to this council meeting. 114 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 3: So when they get to the awarding of the contracts 115 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 3: and did anybody have anything to say, I stand up 116 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 3: and say yes I do. My name is Mark on 117 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 3: Mark's Landscaping. I had a lord bid, but I didn't 118 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 3: get the contract. Papers is shuffling. They shut the mics off. 119 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 3: They're looking up there whispering to each other. They cut 120 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 3: the mic back on and was like, oh, it seems 121 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 3: to be had been a mistake. The contract has already 122 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 3: been awarded. But Mark will make sure that your company 123 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 3: will get work in the future. Let me tell you something. 124 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 3: Two months later, I'm arrested for this case. 125 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 1: So that brings us to the end of March two 126 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: thousand and one, when Marcus was growing his business and 127 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 1: supporting his family in their newly purchased home in the 128 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: White part of town. He had also been fortunate enough 129 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: to be able to help send his cousin to the 130 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: University of Cincinnati, so his cousin invited Marcus to an 131 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: alumni event over the weekend of Friday, March twenty third 132 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: into Saturday, the twenty fourth of two thousand and one. 133 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 3: They're having their first annual Black student reunion, hosting it 134 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 3: in Cleveland. He lived in Cincinnati, so he's coming to clean. 135 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 3: This is my cousin. I supported him all while he 136 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 3: went through college. I know most of his fraternity friends, 137 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 3: people that he went to college with, so normally when 138 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 3: they have things, I'm always in attendance. 139 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: Dean Johnson had even given Marcus a haircut during the 140 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: day on March twenty third, but after they parted ways, 141 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: according to Johnson's police statement, he and Ernest McCauley were 142 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: contacted by Archida Willis. She had been entertaining a known 143 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: drug deal named Howard Rose, who had been fatally shot, 144 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: and Willis needed help with disposing of his body. 145 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 2: So around eleven thirty, the next door neighbor and great 146 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 2: ann of Arkida Willis, Dorothy Evans, makes a call to 147 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 2: police concerning suspicious activity. She states that she heard noises 148 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 2: like someone moving furniture outside her bedroom window near Arkida 149 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 2: Willis's home, and then looked to see if Willis's car 150 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 2: was in the driveway, but it wasn't. She saw a 151 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 2: dark vehicle she didn't recognize in the driveway and she 152 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 2: calls the police, and while on the phone with the 153 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 2: nine one one dispatcher, she saw two individuals dressed in 154 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 2: black exitding the home next door. A little while later, 155 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 2: Willis arrives at the front door of Evan's home. Willis 156 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 2: asked Evans if Evans had called the police, and when 157 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 2: Evans asked Willis what was going on, Willis responded saying 158 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 2: that someone was helping her do something and that's all 159 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 2: she said. When the police officers arrive, they observe a 160 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 2: car fleeing the scene and after a short chase, they 161 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 2: apprehend two individuals, Ernest mc collie and Dion Johnson. 162 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: Johnson and McCauley were arrested for trespassing. While the police 163 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: did a safety check of Arkida's home and they saw 164 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: a puddle of blood on her driveway. 165 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 2: They returned to Willis's house and they're like, what is 166 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:16,199 Speaker 2: this puddle of blood in the driveway, they went to 167 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 2: the backyard, they find a back window unlocked. They go 168 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 2: to the bathroom and find lick candles around the bathtub, 169 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 2: a warm bathwater with Sophie residue and drying blood, and 170 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 2: a pager with blood on it, and this blood later 171 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 2: is tested and found to be the blood of Howard Rose. 172 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 2: Now the police leave the bathroom move to the bedroom 173 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 2: where they see a box spring without a mattress and 174 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 2: no bed linens visible. 175 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: As of now, there was no body and according to 176 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: later statements from Marquita, at this time, Rose's body was 177 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: in his truck parked on a side street while she 178 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 1: went to work, where the police eventually tracked her down 179 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:57,080 Speaker 1: and they asked her to come to the station so 180 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: they could ride to the house together, and she explained 181 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 1: that Johnson and McAuley were not intruders. 182 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 3: First she said she had some friends over there moving 183 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 3: some furniture. Then when they asked about the blood they 184 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,439 Speaker 3: found in the driveway, where did it come from? She said, what, 185 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 3: a blood came from a dogfight. She was hosting a 186 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 3: dog fight at her house. 187 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 2: Oh, obviously, dog fighting. 188 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,720 Speaker 1: It's as ridiculous as it is sinister. 189 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 2: It's not what I would have gone with, but that's 190 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 2: what our Keida Willis goes with. When they go to 191 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 2: her house, she's accompanied then with like a thin black 192 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 2: mail with a Jamaican accent, by the name of Omar. 193 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 2: He was present while police questioned Willis outside her home. 194 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 2: Willis refused to allow the officers to do a second 195 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 2: search of her home, and in the police reports they 196 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 2: report that Willis is evasive and uncooperative and. 197 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: Then they left. They appear to have lost all interest 198 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: in Omar, and it's believed that at this point the 199 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 1: body was disposed of near Exit six on the Interstate 200 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: ninety in Pennsylvania. 201 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 2: In the early morning hours of March two, twenty fourth, 202 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:02,959 Speaker 2: Pennsylvania police are called to the scene of a fire 203 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 2: on I ninety. A pickup truck with Ohio plates is 204 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 2: engulfed in flames. Howard Rose is inside. He's identified through 205 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 2: an autopsy and it's determined that the cause of death 206 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 2: is a single gunshot wound to the head. The investigation 207 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 2: produced information that Willis was with Howard Rose on the 208 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 2: day he was killed, and they determined that the death 209 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 2: they were investigating had initially taken place in Maple Heights, 210 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 2: and so reshifting our focus back to Ohio, Ernest McCully 211 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 2: and Dean Johnson, who had been arrested on the twenty third, 212 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 2: were released from Maple Heightst. Jail and for some reason 213 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 2: their property is all returned to them, including the bloody 214 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 2: clothing that they were wearing. 215 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: Who knows why, perhaps since they had been so forthcoming 216 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: with whose blood it was, as well as that it 217 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: was Arkda who hads built. 218 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 3: It, they all pointed the finger on herd as she 219 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 3: was the one that did it. She was the one 220 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 3: that called them to help remove the body, clean up 221 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 3: the whole nine. 222 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: I guess cooperation can buy you a lot. Case in point, 223 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: Arquita was soon arrested, pressed again about her ridiculous dogfight explanation, 224 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 1: threatened with the death penalty, and somehow was still able 225 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: to come out of this with a plea deal for 226 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:17,200 Speaker 1: obstruction and evidence tampering, receiving only four years. 227 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 2: Willis is initially charged with aggravated murder, burglary, and kidnapping. 228 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 2: Those charges are dropped in exchange for her testimony against Playlock. 229 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 3: All she had to do was write a statement, put 230 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 3: the gun in my hand and sand that I killed 231 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 3: this guy over a drug deal gone bad, which was 232 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 3: all alive because I never was at her house doing 233 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 3: a drug deal before or after he was killed. It 234 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 3: was her and a Jamaican guy that accompanied her to 235 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 3: PA and New York when she disposed of the body. 236 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: However, at this point, according to Arqida, Marcus had driven 237 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: the body out to Pennsylvania alone. But how does one 238 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 1: return to Maple Heights when the burnt out pickup truck 239 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: was still out on I ninety. Well that would require 240 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: another adjustment in her story, but for now. Upon this 241 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 1: dubious statement, Marcus was arrested. 242 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 3: It was April six, two thousand and one. I'm riding 243 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 3: with my contractor. We just come back from home depot 244 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 3: from picking up some materials. It looked at like one 245 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:23,319 Speaker 3: hundred toy soldiers. They ran out of my house, my garage, 246 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 3: my neighbor's house with black on with masks on, telling 247 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:28,319 Speaker 3: me to get out the truck, get out the truck. 248 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 3: I get off the truck, and when a guy lift 249 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,680 Speaker 3: this mask up. This guy's been messing with me for years, 250 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 3: he said, I finally got you. I wanted you to 251 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 3: make one false mode so I could have killed you. 252 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 3: I'm looking at this stew like, are you serious. I 253 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 3: get to the police station, they tell me what I'm 254 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 3: being arrested for. I said, are you see? I said, 255 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 3: I didn't have nothing to do with that. Let me 256 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 3: write a statement, did detective? And say, I'm not letting 257 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 3: you write a statement. When I get done with you, 258 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 3: you're gonna be guilty. And that was the last conversation 259 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,200 Speaker 3: I had with that guy, Oh besides him telling me 260 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,440 Speaker 3: who did I think I was to buy a house 261 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 3: and made likes. 262 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: On April ninth, Arkita Willis said that Marcus had taken 263 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: her car to Pennsylvania, so they searched for car for 264 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 1: many physical ties to Marcus, and yeah, you guessed that 265 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: they found nothing. But this still begs the question who 266 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: actually drove the pickup then, which was answered in another 267 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: narrative change at the preliminary hearing. 268 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 2: Willis, at this point, according to the third version of 269 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 2: her story, now claims that she and a person by 270 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 2: the name of Omar, followed the truck containing Howard Rose's 271 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 2: body driven by Blaylock, who she claims as a person 272 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 2: who set the truck on fire. Claimed that after Blaylock's 273 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 2: hat the truck on fire, he got in the backseat 274 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 2: of her car, and the three of them proceeded to 275 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 2: New York City and stayed at Omar relative's home in 276 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:11,840 Speaker 2: the Bronx. 277 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: Curiously, this Omar character was never pursued. 278 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 3: They never arrested this guy, but he's in my paperwork 279 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 3: with the prosecution. They sealed the investigative file before I 280 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 3: even went to trial. My lawyers asked several times for discovery. 281 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 3: We never received the discovery before trial or at trial. 282 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 3: They have been withholding evidence since I was arrested in 283 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 3: two thousand and one to this date, twenty twenty five, 284 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 3: they're still fighting my attorney from getting post discovery, pre 285 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 3: trial discovery and during trial discovery. 286 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: So who knows what else they have and why they 287 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 1: need to hide it and why did they completely let 288 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: this Omar guy off the hook. In addition to that, 289 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: there's the grand jury, where evidence of probable cause is 290 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: supposed to be presented to obtain the indict the transcripts 291 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 1: of which are typically not made available to defendants, but 292 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 1: Marcus's attorney had reason to fight to have it unsealed 293 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: both before and after the trial. 294 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 3: Somebody told my trial attorneys that they need to get 295 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 3: the grand jury transcripts if you want those charges thrown out. 296 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 3: So they fought to get it. That judge said that 297 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 3: she was doing an in camera inspection and if she 298 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 3: finds anything that will warrant the defense council to have 299 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 3: it and she would turn it over to us. Well, 300 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 3: she denied us having it. 301 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: And who knows what the judge's motivations were, because what 302 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: they discovered in post conviction is wild. 303 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 2: What we see is that there's no probable cause for 304 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 2: him to have ever been indicted in the first place. 305 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 2: At the time they went to the grand jury, the 306 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 2: police only had three statements about the death of Howard Rose. 307 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 2: Both McCully and Johnson's statements claimed that Willis told them 308 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 2: that she, and not Marcus Blaylock, shot Howard Rose in 309 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 2: the back of the head, and only Willis's statement implicated Blaylock. 310 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 2: Both McCully and Johnson's tasably entirely on Willis, and the 311 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 2: only other evidence is Detective Joseph aerbar So, despite admitting 312 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 2: at the preliminary hearing that he has no idea who 313 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 2: shot Howard Rose, he tells the grand jury, based on 314 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 2: nothing that's documented nowhere, that there were two lacerations on 315 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 2: Rose's body and opined in an inflammatory way that those 316 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:25,160 Speaker 2: lacerations were the result of pre mortem torture. Now it's 317 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:27,919 Speaker 2: later learned and trial that they were the result of 318 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:32,120 Speaker 2: the autopsy. But this misrepresentation was super prejudicial because you've 319 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,400 Speaker 2: got a detective saying without basis that it's Blaylock who 320 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 2: did it, and that he tortured him before he died. 321 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,120 Speaker 1: And it appears that this wasn't the only misrepresentation. 322 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 3: They liedd a grand jury and said that they talked 323 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 3: to me and I gave him a statement or I 324 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 3: admitted that I was there or whatever. I never talked 325 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 3: to you like that. I never admitted. But Danny cleaned 326 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 3: it up. This is detective Airbar, that's who testified. He 327 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:59,159 Speaker 3: came right back and said, well, we never heard from Blaylock. Now, 328 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 3: which one is that I told you that I was there? 329 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 3: Or is it that you didn't hear from Blaylock. It's 330 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 3: the second one. You didn't hear from me because I 331 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 3: never made any statements or anything. When I told you 332 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 3: that I will make a statement giving you my alibi, 333 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 3: you told me you didn't want to hear it. The 334 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 3: only thing you want to hear is if I'm guilty. 335 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: In addition, the grand jury questioned how Marcus became a 336 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: suspect at all, as Arkda is the only witness to 337 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,240 Speaker 1: mention Marcus, while the other two named only Arqda. 338 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 3: They said they had other cooperating evidence besides Alkeda Willard's statement. Well, 339 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 3: they didn't have anything else besides her statement. They didn't 340 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 3: have any coroborating evidence. I was indicted on the presumption 341 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 3: that there will be other coroborating evidence to go along 342 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:42,360 Speaker 3: with Alqda's statement. 343 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 1: Perhaps the judge was also fooled into thinking that they'd 344 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: have corroborating evidence by the time of Marcus's trial. Maybe 345 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: even the prosecuting attorney, Richard Bomback, had fooled himself by now. 346 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,480 Speaker 3: They already tried to use cell phones and say my 347 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,160 Speaker 3: telephones was a cell phone that was contacting the girl 348 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 3: Arqda all that day. I haven't talked to her in 349 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:04,280 Speaker 3: almost two years. It's Ernest's phone, my friend who was 350 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 3: just released from prison, who I went and purchased a 351 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 3: cell phone for, was contacted her. You know, years ago, 352 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:13,199 Speaker 3: you couldn't just go get a cell phone. You had 353 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 3: to have credit. His credit was messed up. I had 354 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 3: a business account with all tail. I said, I'll just 355 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 3: put you on my account. You're about to be working 356 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 3: for Marx Landscaping anyway. His family testify that yes, it 357 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 3: is in Marx's landscape, but it's not Mark's phone, it's 358 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 3: Earnest's phone. 359 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:32,200 Speaker 1: So all they ever had was Arquida. 360 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 3: Well, she came in a courtroom. She get on the 361 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,440 Speaker 3: stand and they asked her, you know, did she see 362 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 3: the accused or whatever? And she points at me. She's 363 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,960 Speaker 3: fake crying on the witness stand. Not a teardrop fell 364 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,440 Speaker 3: from her eye. Everybody in the courtroom witnessed. It seemed 365 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 3: like the judge played right along into her because she 366 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 3: handed her a box of clean next. So she's blowing 367 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 3: and wiping her nose and there's nothing coming out. I'm 368 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,120 Speaker 3: listening to her and looking at her like this is crazy. 369 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 3: She can't really recall exactly what she's saying, so the 370 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 3: prosecution grabbs her statements and he said, well, maybe I 371 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 3: can give you this, and this can job your memory. 372 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,400 Speaker 3: He said, we all know that you lied. It came 373 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 3: out that you lied in your previous statements or whatever, 374 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 3: and you implicated Marcus Playlock. Later on why don't you 375 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 3: read your statement to the jury and to the court 376 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 3: and point out where you told the truth that and 377 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 3: where you lie. 378 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 2: At While under oath, she admits to telling a different 379 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:27,920 Speaker 2: version of her story to the police, to actually driving 380 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:31,159 Speaker 2: the truck that contained Howard Rose's body, going to Pennsylvania 381 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:33,879 Speaker 2: to dispose of Howard Rose's body, lying to the police 382 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 2: and feinding ignorance about what happened to Rose, lying during 383 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 2: the March twenty third interview, lying during the April sixth interview, 384 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 2: lying during the April ninth interview, line during the June 385 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 2: sixth interview, and lying in written statements. And she admits 386 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 2: to lying because Willis did not want the crime to 387 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 2: be found out. And she admits that she intended to 388 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:54,200 Speaker 2: lie to the police at each of those times. Super credible. 389 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: It's very difficult to co sign a witness's credibility if 390 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:01,360 Speaker 1: anything they've said is false, but that's what they did. 391 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: The testimony that was truthful, according to this admitted liar, 392 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,919 Speaker 1: was that before going to work, she arranged for Marcus 393 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: to buy drugs from Rose at her house. When she 394 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 1: didn't hear from Rose, she called Marcus, who eventually told 395 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 1: her to come home from work, where she said that 396 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 1: she saw Rose's body on her bed and Marcus admitted 397 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 1: to shooting him. That McCauley and Johnson helped move the 398 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: body to the truck, and that she parked the truck 399 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: on a side street before calling her friend Omar to 400 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 1: drive her back to work, and at some point her 401 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 1: next door neighbor, a great aunt, deb saw men in 402 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: the driveway and called the cops. 403 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:42,440 Speaker 3: Her aunt justified that she would know me a mile away. 404 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 3: I know what Mark drives, I know how Mark looks. 405 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 3: I've been knowing him since he was a little boy. No, 406 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 3: Mark was not one of the persons that I've seen 407 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 3: that night. 408 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: Her kid's testimony continued that after she'd gotten off work, 409 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 1: met with the police, told them to lie about the dogfight, 410 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: and they left. That she, Omar, and Marcus got a 411 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: gas can and then they followed Marcus out to Exit 412 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: six on nine ninety, where he lit the truck on fire, 413 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,120 Speaker 1: and the three sped off to New York City, returning 414 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,480 Speaker 1: on Sunday, March twenty fifth, around eight am. But none 415 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 1: of this was true, or at least the part about 416 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:16,199 Speaker 1: Marcus's involvement is. 417 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 3: No way impossible That I could have been traveling to 418 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 3: PA or New York. I'm not David Copperfield. I can't 419 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,360 Speaker 3: be in two places at one time. I'm in Cleveland. 420 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:27,119 Speaker 3: My cell phone shows that I'm in Cleveland. Back in 421 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 3: the day, you had roaming charges when you go out 422 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 3: of your call area. None of my phones were roaming. 423 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 3: That's because I never loved Cleveland. But her phone is 424 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 3: Roman in another state. That's because that's where she went 425 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 3: and disposed of the body. So when they knew that fact, 426 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 3: she said, yeah, I drove a body out of town, 427 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 3: but Marcus was with me. How was I with you? 428 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:48,680 Speaker 3: I was in Cleveland. I got witnesses to prool where 429 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:50,439 Speaker 3: I'm at, and my cell phone records proof that I'm 430 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 3: in Cleveland. 431 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: Which was the site for the University of Cincinnati's first 432 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: annual Black Students Reunion, for which he attended events on 433 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: both Friday and Saturday nights. It was even photographic proof 434 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: for Saturday, the twenty fourth. 435 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 3: I was on a picture that night. However, the prosecutor 436 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:08,440 Speaker 3: took it and twisted it and said, there's no date 437 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:11,639 Speaker 3: on the picture, but behind it is a banner. This 438 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:15,919 Speaker 3: is the first annual reunion, So there was no other one. 439 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 3: This is where I was on this particular night. 440 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,879 Speaker 1: And they brought in nineteen alibi witnesses to corroborate his 441 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: alibi for both nights. 442 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 3: People that were at the party, people who were wh 443 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 3: meed that weekend, some of them I didn't even know 444 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 3: my brother. I took my niece shopping that weekend. I 445 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 3: had all those people testifying it on my behalf, but 446 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 3: it made no difference. I could have put on one 447 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 3: hundred witnesses. It didn't make a difference. 448 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 2: The police and the prosecutors unethically and impermissively rely on 449 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 2: testimony which they know to be false, and the jury 450 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 2: just gets it. 451 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:50,160 Speaker 1: Dead wrong, even though the prosecutor and the witness herself 452 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 1: admitted that her testimony was full of lives, and so 453 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: Marcus was convicted. 454 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:01,159 Speaker 3: After I get found guilty, I'm distraught, family's distraw. My 455 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 3: mother's screaming like she just witnessed me getting killed. While 456 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 3: they hauling me off, you can hear her screams echoing 457 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:11,960 Speaker 3: throughout the courts corridor. They sent me back to the 458 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 3: holding sale of wherever I was at my lawyer's coming. 459 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 3: You know, tell me, hey, we're gonna untill it you 460 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 3: got a case here. This isn't right. Appeals court, they're 461 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 3: gonna overturn this right away. I don't see how the 462 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 3: jury found you guilty. There was no evidence presented. The 463 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 3: girl even lied on the witness stand. I'm hearing them, 464 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,880 Speaker 3: but at the time I'm not hearing them. All i'm 465 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 3: hearing is the judge saying guilty on all charges and 466 00:24:42,680 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 3: my mother's cries. At the time, I have a daughter 467 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:05,120 Speaker 3: that's eighteen months old, and I have a nine year 468 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 3: old son going on ten, and I'm everything to him. 469 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 3: I am everything to both of my kids. My son 470 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:14,680 Speaker 3: I didn't know until later. I asked him years later, 471 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 3: like how does this affect you? He was a teenager 472 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:19,440 Speaker 3: at the time when I asked him this, but I 473 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 3: wanted to know, like, how does me being incarcerated affect you? 474 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:26,560 Speaker 3: And he said, I feel like I lost my best friend. 475 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:29,880 Speaker 3: Son is in the military now, he's in this fourteenth 476 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:31,879 Speaker 3: year in the United States Navy. He's a chief in 477 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 3: the Navy. Not only do I have those kids, my 478 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 3: two kids, now, I have grandkids who I don't want 479 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 3: them to see me like this. They don't even know 480 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 3: that I'm incarcerated. They never met me. They've seen pictures 481 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 3: of me, but they don't know me, and I just 482 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,680 Speaker 3: want that opportunity to be there. My mother's now and 483 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 3: med eighties. Her health is failing. There's so many people 484 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,119 Speaker 3: that died in my family. My father has passed. My 485 00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:00,399 Speaker 3: older brother we were tight. He's nine years old me. 486 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 3: He was basically like a father to me. He passed 487 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,399 Speaker 3: away in twenty seventeen. He had a heart attack. So like, 488 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:12,359 Speaker 3: this doesn't just affect me, this affects my whole entire family. 489 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 3: If it wasn't for my faith in God, I wouldn't 490 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 3: be here talking to you now on this podcast. I'm 491 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 3: doing things in here to try to keep me busy. 492 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 3: I'm a mentor, a spiritual mentor, and even my heart, 493 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:30,879 Speaker 3: I still have hope that things would one day turn around. 494 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 3: I don't know when, but I have faith that it's 495 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:35,160 Speaker 3: going to happen. 496 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: And it's been an uphill battle despite many positive developments 497 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 1: along the way, the first of which was getting one 498 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,120 Speaker 1: of the slew of charges an obstruction of justice conviction, 499 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: overturned way back in two thousand and three, and at 500 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:54,159 Speaker 1: the same time, Marcus's attorney discovered all the lies and 501 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,680 Speaker 1: manipulation and the grand jury which he tried to raise 502 00:26:57,840 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: in the obstruction proceedings. 503 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 3: And I received those grand jury transcripts, but my lawyer 504 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:05,120 Speaker 3: sent me a one page letter like this is everything. 505 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 3: We get in front of the judge when they're dismissing 506 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:11,960 Speaker 3: the obstruction charges, and my lawyer says, you'r honor, we 507 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:15,440 Speaker 3: have the grand jury transcripts right here. There was no 508 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,879 Speaker 3: probable cost. My clients shouldn't have never been indicted. She says, 509 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:22,119 Speaker 3: she didn't want to hear about it. We're not there 510 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 3: to discuss the grand jury transcripts. She hit the gavel 511 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 3: and it was over with and I was out the. 512 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: Courtroom at this point. His sentence was reduced to twenty 513 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:34,360 Speaker 1: eight years to life, while his co defendants received very 514 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:39,760 Speaker 1: lenient deals for actually being involved. Rakida Willis was charged 515 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:42,479 Speaker 1: only with obstruction of justice and evidence tampering, even though 516 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:45,639 Speaker 1: according to Dion and Ernest, she was the actual shooter. 517 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,439 Speaker 3: She ended up doing four years. Dion did two years, 518 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 3: Ernest at nine. I think he ended up doing seven 519 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 3: and a half. 520 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 2: So almost immediately after Arkita does her four years, she 521 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 2: calls up Ernest mccaullay and in the conversation, she admits 522 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:03,439 Speaker 2: that she falsely implicates Blaylock. In this case, Willis admits 523 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:06,200 Speaker 2: to killing Howard Rose. McCauley asked, well is when she 524 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 2: decided to shift the blame to Blaylock, and Willis told 525 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 2: McCauley that she didn't care about mister Blaylock. McCully says, listen, 526 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,840 Speaker 2: you took a soul, She says, right, and McCully says, 527 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 2: which would be Howard And she says, uh huh. You 528 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,960 Speaker 2: could save two souls, which would be me and mister 529 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:24,720 Speaker 2: She says, uh huh. The conversation shows she's admitting that she, 530 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 2: and not Blaylock, killed Howard Rose. She states, although she 531 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:30,680 Speaker 2: had changed her stories to fit the date she said, 532 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 2: detectives did not investigate. Willis said this showed that the 533 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:35,720 Speaker 2: detective's vindictiveness toward Blaylock. 534 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 3: She said she even told the detectives in front of 535 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,680 Speaker 3: her attorneys that she drove the body away and they 536 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 3: fell out their cheer, laughing because they couldn't believe it. 537 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 3: But they say, well, it doesn't make a difference. Just 538 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 3: pay to ten percent bond. Whatever obstruction of justice and 539 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 3: tempering what evidence bond was to get out. 540 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 2: When McCauley asks Willis what her largest reservation about admitting 541 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 2: that she killed Rose would be, Willis responds because she 542 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 2: wants to be home too. She then discusses a fictional 543 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 2: in air quotes book she wants to write about the murder, 544 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 2: entitled Murder One was the case they gave me, And 545 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,400 Speaker 2: then they talk about the contents in her book, where 546 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 2: she admits that she hates Blaylock. She tells McCauley that 547 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 2: she feels badly because of all the people in prison 548 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,040 Speaker 2: who didn't actually do the crime. She says it was 549 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:21,080 Speaker 2: easy to frame Marcus because she hated him. When McCauley 550 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 2: tells Willis about lying being problematic because it necessitates moral lies, 551 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 2: Willis says, it isn't that hard. You get a story, 552 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:31,720 Speaker 2: you stick with it, and that's that, and that's a quote. Moreover, 553 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 2: Willis admits that she lied to her own attorneys about 554 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:36,880 Speaker 2: what transpired, and she admits that she couldn't believe that 555 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 2: a jury convicted Marcus based solely on her testimony, giving 556 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 2: how many times her story shifted. 557 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: Prison phone conversations are recorded, so McCauley reached out to 558 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:51,480 Speaker 1: Marcus's lawyer and they retrieved and transcribed the recording, adding 559 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 1: it to his federal havias where you need to show 560 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 1: that your constitutional rights were violing, and they bolstered the 561 00:29:57,440 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 1: filing with this evidence of innocence. 562 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 3: It's two three hours worth of conversation that my lawyer 563 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 3: ended up getting and submitted it into evidence in my 564 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,320 Speaker 3: federal hay and it changed the direction that my hat 565 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 3: was going at that time. And I told my lawyer 566 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 3: to file a stay and take that evidence back to 567 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 3: the trial courts so you can exhaust it. If the 568 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 3: federal courts hear it before the trial court, then I'll 569 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 3: be forever barred from bringing it back up. So what 570 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 3: happened was he didn't listen to me. He said, no, 571 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 3: I'm going to file at both places. Whoever answers first, 572 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 3: we're good. We got a confession from the actual murderer. 573 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 3: So when it got included in the record, the magister 574 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 3: judge said that the conversation proves that the state of 575 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 3: Ohio convicted the wrong person when they found Playlock guilty 576 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 3: of the murderer. Roles those exact words. 577 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 1: However, the court ruled that an innocence claim absent the 578 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 1: constitutional violation was insufficient so the recordings, having not been 579 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 1: added to the record and exhausted in trial court, were 580 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 1: now procedurally barred. But then Arkeita kept right on communicating 581 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 1: with Ernest McCauley. 582 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 2: She admits her guilt on multiple occasions. In letters she's 583 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 2: drafted to Ernest McCully, Willis admits to killing Howard Rose 584 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 2: and that mister Blainlogg was not involved, and like the 585 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:21,200 Speaker 2: phone call, McCully often refers to a soul that was 586 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 2: lost or stolen because of Willis's lies. She wrote, I 587 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 2: guess when you take a life, you have to live 588 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 2: with it. You really don't have a choice but to 589 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 2: look at it different. She discusses her gratitudes towards McCully 590 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 2: for his assistance and helping to remove Rose's body from 591 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:37,240 Speaker 2: her house. She describes her fear that mccullay Harbor's resentment 592 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 2: towards her because he remains incarcerated for the crime she committed. 593 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 2: She says, all of which we've been through, I still 594 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 2: wonder if you hate me. I wonder if one day 595 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 2: you'll break my neck because of what you're going through 596 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 2: because of me. She goes on rape I just feel 597 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 2: like crying all the time. Then I start questioning myself 598 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 2: all those lies I told. I never would have guessed 599 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 2: they'd believe my statement. I just thought I'd get a 600 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 2: plea bargain and they would find everyone not guilty because 601 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 2: of all of the dishonesty in all of my written statements. 602 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 1: This time, his attorney took it to the trial court. 603 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 2: A judge decided that to these letters and recordings you 604 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 2: couldn't prove they were her. She would not testify taking 605 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:15,959 Speaker 2: responsibility for them, and so those subsequent post conviction petitions 606 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 2: were denied. They went back and forth through the Court 607 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 2: of Appeals. 608 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 1: At this point, it appears that the state offered Ernest 609 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 1: a deal for early release, which he told Marcus about 610 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 1: in a letter two days after he made the deal 611 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:31,040 Speaker 1: and later testified to in twenty fourteen. This is what 612 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:32,360 Speaker 1: he said about the offer. 613 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 3: Ernest said that he ended up writing a statement later 614 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 3: for the prosecution to get out of prison early. He 615 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 3: told him that whatever he writes is this against me 616 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 3: is going to be a lie because I'm innocent. But 617 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 3: they said they don't care if he lie. They just 618 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 3: needed to stop my post conviction and it did. 619 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: A statement was drafted allegedly from Ernest that the phone 620 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 1: conversations were just a setup and that Marcus was the 621 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 1: actual shooter, And despite presenting a letter from Ernest admitting 622 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: that the statement was just a means to get his 623 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 1: on early release, Marcus didn't get any traction again on 624 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 1: the now procedurally barred confession materials until a twenty thirteen 625 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:13,520 Speaker 1: affid David for one of the Cauley's cellmates, Shannon Drake. 626 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 3: He gets throwed in the mix because Ernest let him 627 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 3: listen to Archidah on the phones and wrote affidavit from 628 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 3: my lawyer Sam. He heard her saying how she set 629 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 3: me up. In twenty fourteen, I'm back in the courtroom 630 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:27,960 Speaker 3: on our everdentary of hearing it. Ernest came in there 631 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 3: and got on the stand and Danny said that he 632 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 3: ended up writing a statement, and a statement is really 633 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:36,000 Speaker 3: no good until you testify to it. So now he's 634 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 3: testifying that statement is false. The prosecution told him what 635 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 3: to say, and as a matter of fact, that's not 636 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 3: even my signatures. Blaylock is innocence. The judge doesn't make 637 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:45,560 Speaker 3: a ruling on her for two years, and then when 638 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 3: she comes back two years later in twenty sixteen, she denies, 639 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:50,680 Speaker 3: saying that evidence was not new. 640 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 1: Which goes back to the original sin that this phone 641 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:59,080 Speaker 1: conversation was presented in federal court but was never exhausted 642 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,200 Speaker 1: in trial court, so it was used up where it 643 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: couldn't be effective on its own, and then they can 644 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,680 Speaker 1: say that this related evidence is not new. But there 645 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:12,000 Speaker 1: was a new hope in Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's office, the 646 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,279 Speaker 1: creation had long last of a conviction Integrity Unit. 647 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 3: Well, I found an application to them for my role 648 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 3: for conviction in twenty eighteen. I didn't hear nothing from 649 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,520 Speaker 3: him for two years. In twenty twenty, during the pandemic, 650 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:24,759 Speaker 3: I had someone reach out to the head of that 651 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 3: unit at the time. He said, oh, it's ironic that 652 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 3: you're calling me about the Blacklock case because something new 653 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 3: has came up and I'm going to ask the head 654 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:38,240 Speaker 3: prosecutor for special permission to re review his case. 655 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 1: So at this time Marcus reached out to Kim, who 656 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 1: agreed to represent him with the CiU. 657 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:47,440 Speaker 2: So I talked to the then head of the Conviction 658 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 2: Integrity Unit, who says he won't confirm that they've found 659 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:53,880 Speaker 2: something new, but he doesn't deny that he's had this 660 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:58,080 Speaker 2: conversation with this contact person, mister Blaylock. But the whole 661 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:01,000 Speaker 2: time we're going through this and get a response from 662 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:02,880 Speaker 2: them one way or the other, like about what's going on, 663 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:07,279 Speaker 2: what the investigation is. However, McCully is telling us, Yeah, 664 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 2: they interviewed me. We send our investigator out to talk 665 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,600 Speaker 2: to Willis, who says, those prosecutors took me out to 666 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:15,560 Speaker 2: dinner and I told them the truth. I'm not going 667 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:17,359 Speaker 2: to say anything more. And then she slams the door 668 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:20,279 Speaker 2: in his face words to that effect. So we know 669 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 2: they have some investigation which is favorable. And you would 670 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:27,800 Speaker 2: think if their answer was we don't have anything favorable 671 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:30,320 Speaker 2: to overturn, that would have been said years ago. In 672 00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:33,400 Speaker 2: the course of this they had represented at some point 673 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:35,880 Speaker 2: that it moved on to the investigation phase and the 674 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 2: voting phase. 675 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:40,279 Speaker 1: Now, this CiU was assigned an independent review board made 676 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: up of judges and community members, whose purpose was to 677 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:48,200 Speaker 1: review the findings of these reinvestigations and vote on recommendations 678 00:35:48,239 --> 00:35:49,359 Speaker 1: for the head prosecutor. 679 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 2: I talked to the members of the board who said, no, 680 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:54,640 Speaker 2: we've never heard about this case. We haven't met for 681 00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 2: over two years, and As a result, November of twenty 682 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,080 Speaker 2: twenty two, all community members of the Higer County Prosecutor's 683 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:05,560 Speaker 2: Conviction Integrity Unit resigned, citing the units inactivity perceived lack 684 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:07,920 Speaker 2: of impact, with a letter noting that the office had 685 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,840 Speaker 2: not even referred a case for review since prior to 686 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:14,400 Speaker 2: the pandemic. As far as I'm concerned, Ural Sailor's the 687 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:18,799 Speaker 2: only case of exoneration by the Conviction Integrity Unit. Now 688 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:22,200 Speaker 2: there's Octavius Williams, where he was voted to be exonerated, 689 00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 2: but instead they just gave him a judicial release, which 690 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:29,000 Speaker 2: really compromises the idea that the purpose was ever without 691 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:30,000 Speaker 2: conviction integrity. 692 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:33,319 Speaker 1: And you can hear about both of those cases. We're 693 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:35,600 Speaker 1: going to have our coverage linked in the episode description. 694 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,800 Speaker 1: So Kim filed motions to compel the CiU to release 695 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,800 Speaker 1: anything they'd found, because, after all, when Marcus filed with 696 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 1: the CiU, they'd signed an agreement to share materials, not 697 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:48,719 Speaker 1: to mention other obligations to do so. 698 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:52,160 Speaker 2: As a result of the court sort of order that, well, 699 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:54,880 Speaker 2: if your beef is with the Conviction Integrity Unit, the 700 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 2: whole board resigns. So we're not sure that they are 701 00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:00,239 Speaker 2: a thing anymore, and therefore we can't compel them. These 702 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:04,800 Speaker 2: obligations exist out of ongoing Brady obligations, concepts of justice, 703 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:08,400 Speaker 2: out of the prosecutor's ethical duty to pursue justice. And 704 00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:12,520 Speaker 2: there's an AVIA requirement that if they find subsequent evidence, 705 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 2: they're required to turn it over. None of that seems 706 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:18,960 Speaker 2: to matter. The agreement doesn't seem to matter, and here 707 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:21,440 Speaker 2: we are two and a half years into litigation just 708 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:24,160 Speaker 2: about whether they have to turn over the materials from 709 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:28,360 Speaker 2: this investigation because we need to establish that it was 710 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:31,960 Speaker 2: Willis who said this, and Willis is not presently cooperative. 711 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:35,680 Speaker 2: Marcus Blaylock's conviction should have never occurred, but it should 712 00:37:35,719 --> 00:37:38,880 Speaker 2: have ended the first time Willis made it admission that 713 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:42,400 Speaker 2: she had framed him. And it's now been twenty years 714 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:47,040 Speaker 2: since that admission, and the justice system is playing games 715 00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 2: about whether or not he should have access to this 716 00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 2: state's investigation of his innocence. That shouldn't even be a question. 717 00:37:55,160 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 2: I mean, my public records requests have been denied, my 718 00:37:58,080 --> 00:37:59,880 Speaker 2: court filings have been denied. Now we're at a man 719 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:02,840 Speaker 2: in the Court of Appeals, and it's just every step 720 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:06,200 Speaker 2: of the way we're hit with obstacles about just having 721 00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:09,280 Speaker 2: access to information, and information should be free to everybody. 722 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:11,719 Speaker 2: So the path forward is we are not going to 723 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:16,080 Speaker 2: stop until we get this investigation because we know that 724 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:19,040 Speaker 2: what's contained in it is the basis to move forward. 725 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:21,239 Speaker 2: And the reason we know that is nobody would work 726 00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:22,600 Speaker 2: so hard to protect nonsense. 727 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,839 Speaker 1: Is there anything that our audience can do to help? 728 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:29,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I think public outcry, call the prosecutors, 729 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:32,800 Speaker 2: demand that they released information. Why are they protecting it? 730 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:33,840 Speaker 1: What is the purpose? 731 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:34,640 Speaker 2: What are they hiding? 732 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:37,080 Speaker 1: And if anyone wants to learn more about Marcus and 733 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:38,759 Speaker 1: his case, he's written a book. 734 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:41,200 Speaker 3: My book is out, My Long Journey through Faith at 735 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 3: New Beginning by Marcus Blaylock. I appreciate to somebody that 736 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:47,320 Speaker 3: knows about this case, that heard about this case, that 737 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:50,320 Speaker 3: maybe the witness has talked to in the past, please 738 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 3: come forward, Feel free to talk to my attorney. I 739 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:55,560 Speaker 3: have a website to free Mark M A R. C. 740 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:58,640 Speaker 3: Blaylock B L A L O C K dot com. 741 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:01,759 Speaker 1: Okay, so we're going to link the book his website 742 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:04,759 Speaker 1: as well as ways that you can contact Kim if 743 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:08,239 Speaker 1: you have any information about this case, And with that 744 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:11,960 Speaker 1: we're going to go to closing arguments, where first of all, 745 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:14,839 Speaker 1: I think each of you for being here, and now 746 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 1: I'm going to kick back in my chair and close 747 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:19,320 Speaker 1: my eyes and just listen to anything else you have 748 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:23,360 Speaker 1: to say. Kim, as always, let's start with you, and 749 00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:26,320 Speaker 1: then you can just hand the microphone off to Marcus 750 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:28,160 Speaker 1: and he'll take us off into the sunset. 751 00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:32,360 Speaker 2: This case is so obvious. How it got indicted is 752 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:36,960 Speaker 2: the original question. How there was probable cause to move 753 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:39,560 Speaker 2: forward with an arrest, with an indictment, with a trial, 754 00:39:39,719 --> 00:39:42,680 Speaker 2: and how a conviction is sustained. We're questions that weren't 755 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:46,880 Speaker 2: answered until after trial, unfortunately, but we've known the answer 756 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:49,480 Speaker 2: for now more than twenty years. And the fact that 757 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:53,320 Speaker 2: we haven't been able to extend justice or procedure to 758 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:56,279 Speaker 2: Marcus Blaylock to give him access to tell the truth 759 00:39:56,360 --> 00:39:59,759 Speaker 2: of his story is one of the greatest injustices i've seen. 760 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:03,040 Speaker 2: The fact that the prosecutor's office, in acknowledgement that it 761 00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:07,080 Speaker 2: had information favorable to mister Blaylock, did an investigation and 762 00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:10,719 Speaker 2: won't turn that over, have spent thousands of hours and 763 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:17,480 Speaker 2: dollars just keeping this information secret is proof positive that 764 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:19,680 Speaker 2: the system is protecting what it knows to be a 765 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:20,520 Speaker 2: wrongful conviction. 766 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:24,520 Speaker 3: Something is hidden and you're not showing it. You're not 767 00:40:24,719 --> 00:40:29,399 Speaker 3: showing your hand. But yet and still she shows her hand. 768 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:32,160 Speaker 3: I mean, it's not right, it's not right. You have 769 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:35,280 Speaker 3: me wrongfully convicted now going on twenty four years support 770 00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:38,880 Speaker 3: crime I didn't commit, and you use the self admitted statement, 771 00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:43,800 Speaker 3: a percase statement at that to convict me. I need prayers. 772 00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:48,920 Speaker 3: I need prayers, support phone calls for this to go through. 773 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:53,279 Speaker 3: My lawyer is amazing, but I need a miracle right now. 774 00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:55,279 Speaker 3: That's what I need. I need God to create a 775 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:58,360 Speaker 3: miracle for me so I can be exonerated from this 776 00:40:58,520 --> 00:40:59,320 Speaker 3: wrongful conviction. 777 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:08,439 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Wrongful Conviction. You can listen 778 00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:10,879 Speaker 1: to this and all the Lava for Good podcasts one 779 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:13,880 Speaker 1: week early and ad free by subscribing to Lava for 780 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:16,759 Speaker 1: Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I want to thank our 781 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:19,920 Speaker 1: production team, Connor Hall and Kathleen Fink, as well as 782 00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:23,760 Speaker 1: my fellow executive producers Jeff Kempler, Kevin Wartis, and Jeff Kleiber. 783 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:25,960 Speaker 1: The music in this production was supplied by three time 784 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:29,120 Speaker 1: OSCAR nominated composer Jay Ralph be Sure to follow us 785 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:31,960 Speaker 1: across all social media platforms at Lava for Good and 786 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:35,160 Speaker 1: at Wrongful Conviction. You can also follow me on Instagram 787 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:38,120 Speaker 1: at it's Jason Flamm. Wrongful Conviction is a production of 788 00:41:38,239 --> 00:41:41,799 Speaker 1: Lava for Good Podcasts and association with Signal Company Number One. 789 00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:44,360 Speaker 1: We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported 790 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:45,680 Speaker 1: in this show are accurate. 791 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 3: The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in 792 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:51,200 Speaker 3: this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect 793 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:52,439 Speaker 3: those of Lava for Good.