1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,519 Speaker 1: A note for listeners, this episode contains discussion of suicide. 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: Please listen with caution and care. For Amelia Bird, her 3 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: world never felt safe from a young age. She was mentally, physically, 4 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: and sexually abused by family members. She tried to get 5 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: help from anyone she could. 6 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 2: I went to my school counselor and begged them to 7 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 2: call DFS, call whoever to come get me, because I 8 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 2: could not live in that house any longer. 9 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: The counselor referred her to a mental health facility. 10 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 2: I told them I was suicidal. They I would die 11 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: before I ever went back in that house. I can't 12 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 2: do it no more. 13 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: When adults in Amelia's life continued to fail her, she 14 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: turned to drugs, alcohol, and older men for comfort. But 15 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: these avid news would lead not to escape, but to 16 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: her biggest downfall. 17 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 2: I remember waking up big in It was storming, really bad, 18 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 2: nothing you've seen like actually seeing the lightning. My window 19 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 2: was open so I could hear the rain hit in 20 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 2: the tin roof. And then I remember going to the 21 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 2: bathroom and that's when I seen blood and I heard 22 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 2: the words, I can't believe you shot me. My name 23 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 2: is familiar Bird. I've been in prison, said Jay Ary thirteen, 24 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 2: two thousand and six. And I am innocent. 25 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: From lava for good. This is wrongful conviction with Maggie 26 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: Freeling today. 27 00:01:49,280 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 3: Amelia Bird. 28 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: Amelia Bird was born on April nineteenth, nineteen eighty nine, 29 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: to William and Christina Bird in Summersville, Missouri. Amelia was 30 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: the baby in the family. Her brother, Justin, is five 31 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 1: years older. 32 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 2: I grew up on a farm fish. We did have 33 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 2: horses there at the inn. We were getting cattle and stuff. 34 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: And life both in and out of school, kept Amelia busy. 35 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 2: I worked a school program and worked until sometimes seven 36 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 2: eight o'clock at night training horses, and I loved it. 37 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 2: I loved working with horses. 38 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: At first, Amelia was pretty close with her dad. 39 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 2: I thought like he was the best guy in the world, 40 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 2: like I was Daddy's little girl. From the outside looking in, 41 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 2: it was like picture perfect. Just like everything, every home 42 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 2: has its secret. 43 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:58,519 Speaker 1: And the secrets in the Bird home were dark ones. 44 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 2: I always thought that, you know, my mom was cheating 45 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 2: on my dad, because that's what I would overhear the 46 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 2: adults saying. 47 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: But as she got older, Amelia started realizing her father 48 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:14,119 Speaker 1: was the problem. One day, she found her mom cowering 49 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: in fear from her dad. 50 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 2: I don't know what happened. It just remember it was 51 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 2: on Mother's Day when he had my mom trapped against 52 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 2: the wall, down on the floor, and the whole bedroom 53 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,839 Speaker 2: is destroyed toward to pieces, and my grandmother had to come, 54 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 2: my aunt had to come. And that's like my eyes 55 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 2: started seeing that my mom wasn't necessarily the bad person 56 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 2: that it was more my dad. My father has a 57 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 2: temper on him. He does not know when to stop 58 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 2: when he gets angry, whether he verbally or physically abuses. 59 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 2: You can almot see it like in his eyes changing. 60 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: And Amelia's mother was not the old only target of 61 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: his reach. 62 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 2: One time, my mom had told me to do something. 63 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 2: I didn't do it right away, so he gave me 64 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 2: a whapon and it started outside, then went inside and 65 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 2: he continued to a point like I was black and 66 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 2: blue from my lower back almost to the back of 67 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 2: my knees. 68 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: Amelia started to notice that her mom never stood up 69 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: for her or for herself. 70 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 2: My mom was very like quiet and meek, and no 71 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 2: matter what happened to her, like she would just take 72 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 2: it and keep going. I knew she was scared of 73 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 2: him because she had left him twice the time Mother's 74 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 2: Day and then another time she had left him again, 75 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 2: and we actually moved into a whole nother house, took 76 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 2: the horses, everything like we packed up and everything. 77 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: But her mom always went back and in comparison to 78 00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: how they treated her, Amelia's parents often spoiled and favored 79 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: her brother. 80 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 2: Justin anything he said was right, something would happen and 81 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 2: they'd always be like, why can't you be like your brother? 82 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 2: Why do you have to misbehave so much? Why can't 83 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 2: you a great to be better? It was like one 84 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 2: thing on top of another, and they always compared me 85 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 2: to him. 86 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 1: This was painful enough for Amelia, but worse than that, 87 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: she says, was that her brother took advantage of her. 88 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 2: My brother had sexually abused me, and I knew no 89 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 2: matter what was said, they would always take his side 90 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:38,679 Speaker 2: of her mind and tell me that I'm just making 91 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 2: it up to get attention. 92 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: Amelia says her cousin sexually abused her too. By the 93 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: time she was ten, To deal with the emotional and 94 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: physical pain of the ongoing abuse, Amelia began to self medicate. 95 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 2: The first thing that I got introduced to was just 96 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 2: filled and they were like yellow jackets and like worriots. 97 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 2: There were stuff upper to try to keep me awake, 98 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 2: because I had a whole fear and phobia of going 99 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 2: to sleep because that's when it seems that everything bad 100 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 2: always happened. So like I didn't like to go to sleep. 101 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 2: If I did, I wanted somebody there, whether it was 102 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 2: my dog Fred or whether it was somebody else like 103 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 2: one of my exes. 104 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: The pills soon led to alcohol, and. 105 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 2: That was that I don't even remember who. It was 106 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 2: at a friend's house that she told me, she's like, 107 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 2: this will help, and we started drinking and it started 108 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 2: off with just like sour apple Tucker sn It led 109 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 2: to vodka and hard liquor, and then one time she 110 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 2: had moonshine. Then I started hanging out with this other 111 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,040 Speaker 2: girl and we partied all the time. She introduced me 112 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 2: to we mushrooms and more pills. I can't tell you 113 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 2: what all those were because we would put them all 114 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 2: in a bowl and just grab them and take them 115 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 2: and take a shot. I felt so much shame. I 116 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 2: felt like it was my fault for a very long 117 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 2: time over it, because I didn't understand why it had happened. 118 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: So Amelia began looking for a way out for herself. 119 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 2: I found a college that was like a rodeo school 120 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 2: to where I could barrel race on the side but 121 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 2: also get an education, and I really wanted to do that. 122 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 2: I loved barrel racing. My biggest dream was I wanted 123 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 2: to ride my horse through every state. I had mapped 124 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 2: it out when I was ten years old. 125 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: But these dreams were crushed by her father. 126 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 2: He's told me that I'm too stupid to do anything, 127 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 2: never going to mount to nothing in life, that I 128 00:07:57,440 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 2: need to give up all my dreams. 129 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: Amelia felt trapped. Starting from age eleven, she confided in 130 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: adults about what was going on at home. However, Amelia 131 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: says the adults she turned to always betrayed her. By 132 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: the time she was fourteen, she was desperate. 133 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 2: I went to my school counselor and begged them to 134 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 2: call DFS, call whoever to come get me because I 135 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 2: could not live in that house any longer. And they 136 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 2: brought in a juvenile offster that scared me. He told 137 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,439 Speaker 2: me we had to talk to my parents. I said, 138 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 2: you might as well give it up. I don't want 139 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 2: to talk. Then if you're going to talk to my parents. 140 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 2: They ended up he did end up getting to hold 141 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 2: my parents and we all sit down, and then they 142 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:46,559 Speaker 2: made me go home and they had my dad drive 143 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 2: me to the next down over to meet some people 144 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 2: to pick me up to drive me to the hospital. 145 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: Once she got to the mental health facility, I told. 146 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:00,080 Speaker 2: Them I was suicidal, that I would die before I 147 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 2: ever went back in that house. I can't do it 148 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 2: no more. I can't do the argument, I can't do 149 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 2: the abuse. Nobody wants to stand up for nobody, and 150 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 2: I'm done. 151 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 1: But even at the hospital, she still felt that no 152 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: one believed her. 153 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,959 Speaker 2: I started thinking that I was delusional and that it 154 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 2: really wasn't a big deal, and then I was the 155 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 2: one in the wrong, Like I really started feeling like 156 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 2: that there was some wrong with me. 157 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,679 Speaker 1: Amelia stayed in the hospital for about eleven days and 158 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: then she was released back to her family and to 159 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,839 Speaker 1: the abuse. Her dad was the one who came to 160 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 1: drive her home from the hospital, and the. 161 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 2: Whole time he would not speak to me. That night, 162 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 2: he just yelled at me. They made fun of me. 163 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 2: They said, you'd better be careful what you say. She 164 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 2: might become suicidal and make comments like, well, we'll just 165 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 2: beat it out of her and then she'll be better. 166 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:03,719 Speaker 2: We don't need no hospital. 167 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 1: When Amelia left the facility, doctors prescribed her prozac and trazadone, 168 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: but when her dad said it was too expensive, that 169 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: she was costing the family too much money, she stopped 170 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: taking the medication. Still, Amelia and her mother grew closer. 171 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: She especially cherishes one good memory of being with her mom, and. 172 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 2: That was a float trip. It was just me and her, 173 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,199 Speaker 2: and it didn't start off very good and it didn't 174 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 2: end good. That the middle part was amazing. 175 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: Amelia and her mom were just bonding and having heart 176 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: to hearts as they floated on the river together. But 177 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: then a thunderstorm struck. 178 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,200 Speaker 2: Then we got trapped and it was like two in 179 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 2: the morning when somebody finally found us on the river. 180 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,199 Speaker 2: It was my dad, and he was mad none at all, 181 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 2: get out for even having to come looking for it. 182 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 2: But the whole trip itself, like in the middle, just 183 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 2: being her out on the water was so much fun 184 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 2: and amazing, and it's like one of my last memories 185 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:24,559 Speaker 2: of her. 186 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: In the fall of two thousand and five, the abuse 187 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 1: was still rampant. In addition to self medicating, Amelia was 188 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: also seeking out relationships with older men. 189 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 2: I didn't really associate with a lot of people my age. 190 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 2: They were just not mentally on the same level as me. 191 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,559 Speaker 2: Like I've grown up very fast. I never really had 192 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 2: a childhood, So I always hung out with people that 193 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 2: were way older than me, and I would meet them, 194 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 2: like at horse shows, and they would not even know 195 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 2: my age. They would just assume I was older. 196 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: Amelia began and on again off again relationship with a 197 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: guy named Maynard, who was about five years older than her. 198 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 2: My family hated him. They blamed him for the drugs, 199 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 2: the alcohol. They blamed him for me going to the hospital. 200 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 2: They blamed him for so much. 201 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: But Amelia says that Maynard always protected her. He would 202 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:19,440 Speaker 1: even sneak in and spend the night with her when 203 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 1: she was too afraid to sleep, But her parents had 204 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: no tolerance for him. Maynard and Amelia's dad even got 205 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: into a physical fight once. Eventually, things with Maynard ended, 206 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: and one day, Amelia, now sixteen, came home from work 207 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,679 Speaker 1: and met nineteen year old Chad Brantley. Chad was at 208 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 1: her family's house with a friend who was buying a 209 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:40,959 Speaker 1: truck from her dad. 210 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:46,320 Speaker 2: We just started hanging out in between my schedule and stuff. 211 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 2: And then he didn't have no job, no education. He 212 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,679 Speaker 2: played music at a bar. He was a drummer. He 213 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 2: told me he would start doing ged classes. He told 214 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 2: me he would get a job everything. 215 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: Amelia really liked Chad, even though he was somewhat adrift. 216 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 1: She felt like he took care of her. She even 217 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: confided in Chad about the abuse she was enduring at home. 218 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: But quickly this relationship also turned volatile. 219 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,199 Speaker 2: He got to where he was demanding that I spend 220 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 2: all this time with him. If I didn't, he would 221 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:22,439 Speaker 2: get angry with me. It would get loud. He liked 222 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 2: to drink, and he done meth and other stuff. I 223 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 2: don't even know what all he'd done, but I know 224 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 2: he done meth and other stuff a lot more harder 225 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 2: than what I done. I told him about my dreams, 226 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:37,400 Speaker 2: what I wanted to do. I wanted to show. I 227 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 2: wanted to train. I wanted to do all that like 228 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 2: that was my goal in mine, to be this amazing trainer. 229 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 2: He wanted me to give up horses, and I never 230 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,559 Speaker 2: would give up the horses because that was my whole life. 231 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 1: With Chad's violent and controlling behavior, their relationship didn't last long. 232 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 2: We started fighting really bad because he was meaning too much, 233 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 2: and I told him I needed time in space, that 234 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:04,559 Speaker 2: I'm still a kid. 235 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 1: Then, on the afternoon of January thirteenth, two thousand and six, 236 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:14,199 Speaker 1: Amelia was leaving school when she spotted him. It wasn't 237 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: an accident. 238 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 2: Chad was sitting there waiting for me. I told him 239 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 2: I did not want to talk to him right then, 240 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 2: that we would talk later, that I had to go 241 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 2: to work. I told him i'd call him when I could. 242 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: That night, right before midnight, Amelia woke up to a thunderstorm. 243 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 2: My window was open so I could hear the rain 244 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 2: hit in the tin roof. And then I remember going 245 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 2: to the bathroom, and. 246 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 1: On her way to the bathroom, she passed her parents' bedroom. 247 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 2: And that's when I see, like, my mom is laying there, 248 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 2: my dad's standing there, and I heard with the words 249 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 2: that can't believe you shot me. 250 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: Amelia couldn't tell who was talking to whom or who 251 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: they were talking to. She raced to call nine. 252 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 2: One one, and then like from there everything got really confused. 253 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 2: I remember called nine one one, but I don't remember 254 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 2: called my brother. I don't remember done of that. I 255 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 2: read the reports all the time and it was like, 256 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 2: I don't remember half the stuff. 257 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 3: It was all a blur. 258 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: Before Amelia could even process what was happening, police showed up. 259 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: They determined that her mother, Christina Bird, had died from 260 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: gunshot wounds. Her father was taken to the er. Eventually 261 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: he survived. This episode is underwritten by AIG, a leading 262 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 1: global insurance company. AIG is committed to corporate social responsibility 263 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: and to making a positive difference in the lives of 264 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: its employees and in the communities where they work and live. 265 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: In light of the compelling need for pro bono legal assistance, 266 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 1: and in recognition of AIG's commitment to criminal and social 267 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 1: justice reform, the AIG pro Bono Program provides free legal 268 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: services and other support to underrepresented communities and individuals. Immediately 269 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: before any investigation took place, Amelia was a suspect and 270 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: was whisked off to the police station. She was questioned 271 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: that night, and she says there was no adult present 272 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 1: aside from the investigators. The conversation was not recorded or documented. 273 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 2: They kept questioning me and talking to me about not 274 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 2: really even the crimeate itself. They would talk to me 275 00:16:56,400 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 2: about my mom's job. They talked to me about my boyfriends, 276 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 2: or they would talk to me about my sexual relationships 277 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 2: with men. They'd ask me about Maynard if I knew 278 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:09,639 Speaker 2: where Maynard was or if I had seen him, and 279 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 2: I knew that that's why they were questioning about him. 280 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:14,440 Speaker 2: It's because him and my dad and my mom had 281 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 2: that altercation. And I'm like, no, I haven't seen him 282 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 2: in a long time, Like I don't know where he is. 283 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,840 Speaker 2: They asked me about what TV shows I watched, like 284 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 2: it made no sense to me. 285 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 1: To Amelia, the questions seemed suggestive, leading and confusing. 286 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 2: I got mad because I'm like, why are you spending 287 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 2: all this time asking me these questions? Why aren't you 288 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,159 Speaker 2: doing your job? Why are you not out there looking 289 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 2: for whoever or checking the house for any kind of evidence? 290 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:49,840 Speaker 2: And I kept telling them, like nobody could physically enter 291 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 2: our house without leaving some kind of evidence. Because it 292 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 2: was raining and we've lived on a farm. It's muddy everywhere, 293 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 2: like you can't even walk in the back door without 294 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 2: and dust footprints on the stupid wrung that my mom 295 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 2: in says on keeping down on the ground. They just 296 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 2: wouldn't make any sense to me. 297 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 4: Who did you think that this? 298 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 5: At the beginning, I didn't couldn't for the life of 299 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,680 Speaker 5: me figure it out, Like I didn't know who did it. 300 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 5: I swear that I seen somebody, but then I questioned 301 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 5: whether or not I even really seen that person, because 302 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:29,440 Speaker 5: the way they made it seem that. 303 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 2: I didn't see anybody. To this day, I questioned whether 304 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:37,160 Speaker 2: or not I even seen anybody, Like there's so many 305 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 2: things that I seek that I know that I've seen, 306 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 2: but then there's so many things that I don't know 307 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 2: if they're even real, or if it's something that has 308 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,439 Speaker 2: been twisted and hit in my head to make me 309 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 2: think that I seen this person or didn't see this person. 310 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: When talking to the police, Amelia briefly mentioned that her 311 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 1: ex boyfriend Chad Brantley could have possibly been behind the 312 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:11,360 Speaker 1: grusome crime, but after police talked to Chad, they determined 313 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 1: that his and Amelia's stories conflicted and that to them 314 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: was suspicious. They arrested both Amelia and Chad on January fourteenth, 315 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: two thousand and six, the day after the shooting. They 316 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 1: were both threatened with the death penalty. Chad admitted to 317 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: police that he was responsible for killing Amelia's mother and 318 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: that he intended to kill both parents, but he also 319 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,120 Speaker 1: said that Amelia had put him up to the murder 320 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:40,400 Speaker 1: and that they planned the shooting together. 321 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 4: Did you ever ask Chad to kill your parents? 322 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 3: Oh. 323 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 2: I might have said something like I wish they would 324 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,400 Speaker 2: get out of my life. Oh, I can't stand then 325 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:54,199 Speaker 2: leave me alone. But I've never blatantly went up to 326 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 2: him and said, hey, will you do this? Not one time. 327 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 4: Did you actually want them dead? 328 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 2: No, I wanted him to leave me alone. I wanted 329 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 2: my dad to leave my mom alone and me alone. 330 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 2: That I didn't want him dead. 331 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,439 Speaker 1: To save himself from the death penalty, Chad wound up 332 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,719 Speaker 1: taking a plea deal. He admitted to shooting Amelia's parents 333 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: and was sentenced to life in prison. At the age 334 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 1: of sixteen, Amelia was charged as an adult two years later. 335 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:34,360 Speaker 1: In two thousand and eight, she was assigned public defender 336 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 1: Donna Holden. Terrified of the death penalty, Amelia took Holden's 337 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 1: advice and accepted a plea. But here's the thing. As 338 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: a minor at the time of the crime, Amelia was 339 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 1: not legally eligible for the death penalty, yet her attorney, 340 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: Donna Holden, never told her this. 341 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:56,680 Speaker 2: The way she made it seem is I would only 342 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:01,800 Speaker 2: serve ten years, So I figured, what's ten years. I 343 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 2: get away from the family. At the end of the day, 344 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 2: it's all taken care of. Everybody's left alone, and I'm 345 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 2: done with whatever. And then I got to prison. They 346 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 2: actually brought me in and told me that I had 347 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 2: two life sinces running. 348 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 1: Wild, in other words, two consecutive life sentences. Amelia immediately 349 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: wrote to the Public Defender's office to question the sentencing, 350 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:30,880 Speaker 1: and one. 351 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 2: Of the responses was something like, well, it's up to 352 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 2: doc how much time you actually serve. I told you 353 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 2: that in the beginning, which is not what she told me. 354 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 2: And I'm so angry because I felt like I had 355 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 2: been betrayed yet again. So I kept saying, is I 356 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 2: want to go to trial because I didn't do nothing wrong, 357 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:57,000 Speaker 2: and I would have went to trial. I really wish 358 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 2: I would have went to trial. 359 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: Despite no hard evidence connecting her to the shooting of 360 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:08,920 Speaker 1: her parents and death of her mother, nineteen year old 361 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: Amelia received the two life sentences to be served consecutively 362 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: and because Amelia accepts it a plea deal. Her right 363 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: to direct appeals was strictly limited to filing a claim 364 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 1: of ineffective assistance of counsel, and Amelia believes that her 365 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:28,439 Speaker 1: public defender gave her bad advice by telling her to 366 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 1: take the plea deal. Donna Holden never filed an ineffective 367 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:36,879 Speaker 1: assistance of counsel claim to argue this, nor did she 368 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 1: pass the case on to someone else to file it 369 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: on Amelia's behalf. Amelia missed all the deadlines and opportunities 370 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:49,640 Speaker 1: for relief, so she settled into life behind bars. 371 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,120 Speaker 2: When I first got here, I kind of said to myself, 372 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 2: didn't really know what to do I do. I wanted 373 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 2: to get my JD first off. That was like my 374 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 2: first goal because they would let me school. 375 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,640 Speaker 1: She also had a small identity change. 376 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 3: When did the nickname Milli come about? 377 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,119 Speaker 2: Well, when the first lady met me in prison, she 378 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 2: was what we call old head, just now what they 379 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:15,920 Speaker 2: called me, so it's crazy, but she took me under 380 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,879 Speaker 2: her wing and was like, your new name's Milly. She 381 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 2: was like, you're not a Millia and you're not burned, 382 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,199 Speaker 2: You're Milli. And it stuck. 383 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,439 Speaker 1: Milly earned her ged within a couple of months, but 384 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: because of her life sentence, she can't take college classes. 385 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: Many prisons in the US believe spending resources on people 386 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 1: who will never leave prison is a waste of money. 387 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,680 Speaker 1: But Millie has kept busy with other prison activities such 388 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 1: as theater, softball, and her prison factory job. And she's 389 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 1: worked hard through therapy to improve her mental health and 390 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 1: overcome the traumas that shaped her youth. 391 00:23:58,160 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 3: But what has. 392 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: Changed her life inside prison the most was joining the 393 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: CHAMP Assistance Dog Program helping to train service dogs. Amelia 394 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:08,920 Speaker 1: started with CHAMP in two thousand and nine. 395 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 2: And that became my whole life. I fell in love 396 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 2: with it. The CHAMP program trained service dogs with them 397 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 2: for ten years. That was my world. To hear when 398 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:26,640 Speaker 2: they get placed as a client. To know how much 399 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:30,359 Speaker 2: you change that person's life is amazing. 400 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 4: She was from the beginning an excellent trainer and she 401 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 4: became absolutely a vital part of our program. Up there. 402 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:45,920 Speaker 1: This is Nola Ewers. She's the director of CHAMP, which 403 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 1: stands for Canine Helpers Allow More Possibilities. CHAMP operates in 404 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: prisons throughout the country, and Nola says it's a fitting 405 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: program for people who are incarcerated. 406 00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 4: There's a lot of learning about yourself when you're working dogs. 407 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:03,679 Speaker 4: In order to be a good trainer, you have to 408 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 4: develop patients. You have to train yourself to look for 409 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:08,960 Speaker 4: positive things, and those are the things that you want 410 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 4: to reward. Consistency, of course, never losing your temper. You've 411 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 4: got to do everything you can to build up this 412 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,479 Speaker 4: trust and try to never do those things that are 413 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 4: going to harm that bond. So there's I think there 414 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 4: are a lot of things in there that are that 415 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:29,119 Speaker 4: are kind of relate to not just working with dogs. 416 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,160 Speaker 1: Nola saw firsthand how the program helped Millie come out 417 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: of her shell. 418 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 4: If I gave her something to do, she'd jump on it, 419 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 4: tackle it, get it done. And I loved that because, 420 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 4: quite honestly, not not all the trainers were like that, 421 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 4: Not all of them were quite as dedicated. I needed 422 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 4: her to be able to share those skills and to 423 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 4: teach some of the other trainers how to be better trainers, 424 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:00,720 Speaker 4: and she did. 425 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 2: It. 426 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,439 Speaker 4: Was not comfortable for her, I think, by any means, 427 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:09,919 Speaker 4: but she did it and really ended up being I 428 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 4: think my primary trainer up there. 429 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:19,919 Speaker 1: While Millie was building a better life for herself than 430 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 1: the dogs she works with. She was also trying to 431 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 1: figure out ways to prove her innocence. 432 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:26,920 Speaker 4: So I want to ask about the Willow Project. 433 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 1: How did you find out about them and why did 434 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: you reach out? 435 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 2: Well, I actually I watched Bigly Blonde and got the 436 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 2: ideal to write Harvard a letter to see that they 437 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,440 Speaker 2: would help me fight may case. They wrote me back 438 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 2: very nicely, told me I was in the wrong state. 439 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 2: So I went to the library and I found the 440 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 2: college book for everybody in Missouri that was in law school, 441 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 2: and I wrote a letter to them, and the Willow 442 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 2: Project reached back out to me, and we've been together. 443 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 6: Willow actually stands for women initiate legal lifelines to other women. 444 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:07,440 Speaker 1: This is Anne Garrity Rothert, a professor of legal studies 445 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:11,800 Speaker 1: and gender and Sexuality Studies at Webster University in Saint Louis, Missouri. 446 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,880 Speaker 1: She's also the director of the Willow Project, a wrongful 447 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: convictions project for women. 448 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 6: There aren't very many, if any, other wrongful conviction programs 449 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 6: that are devoted only to people who are in women's prisons, 450 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:26,880 Speaker 6: so it's sort of unique in that way. 451 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:29,880 Speaker 1: The Willow Project emerged from the case of a woman 452 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:34,679 Speaker 1: named Angel Stewart. Can you explain who Angel is? 453 00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 3: Yeah? 454 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 6: So, Angel. After a childhood of horrific physical and sexual 455 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,959 Speaker 6: abuse by family members, she ran away from home at 456 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 6: the age of twelve. She became a prostitute, but she 457 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:54,120 Speaker 6: has a very serious developmental disability. When she was about 458 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:57,719 Speaker 6: eighteen or nineteen years old, she became held against her 459 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:02,440 Speaker 6: will in the sex trafficking industry. Essentially, what happened was 460 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:06,679 Speaker 6: that she was held against her will horrifically abused. 461 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 1: Her traffickers then dragged her along in a crime spree 462 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:14,560 Speaker 1: during which they kidnapped and killed two elderly women. Angel 463 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: was charged with first degree murder and first degree kidnapping 464 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: along with both men, and Angel took a plea deal 465 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: to kidnapping rather than murder, receiving life sentences in both 466 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 1: Missouri and Iowa. Angel is still in prison. The Willow 467 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:35,879 Speaker 1: Project was started to help women like Angel and Milly 468 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: who do not have sufficient access to representation due to 469 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:51,440 Speaker 1: injustices like poverty, oppression, exploitation, and violence. When the Willow 470 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 1: Project received Millie's letter, Anne instantly noticed red flags in 471 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 1: her case. 472 00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 6: She was also horrifically physically and sexually abused throughout her life. 473 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:08,440 Speaker 6: And that's sort of where the parallels exists within the 474 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 6: realm of the clients that we take on. So that 475 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 6: was her situation. This went on for several years where 476 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 6: she kept trying to get away or get someone to 477 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 6: listen to her. Nobody would listen to her, and so 478 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:22,840 Speaker 6: at the age of sixteen, you know, as with many 479 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,920 Speaker 6: sixteen year olds, she hated her parents, and she pretty 480 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:28,680 Speaker 6: much told everybody that she hated them. I think it 481 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 6: makes a lot of sense. A lot of sixteen year 482 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 6: olds hate their parents with no real motivation, so hating 483 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 6: your parents when they actually are abusing you is a 484 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:40,760 Speaker 6: logical thing. But she was very outspoken about it, you know, 485 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 6: and I think that ultimately was what led to her 486 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 6: being accused wrongfully. 487 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 1: But Anne acknowledges that cases like Millie's may be more 488 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: difficult to fight for. 489 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 6: If there is no DNA. Those cases become far more 490 00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:01,280 Speaker 6: complicated because it's often, you know, one personon's word against another. 491 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 1: This is especially common when women are involved in wrongful convictions. 492 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 6: So I think currently, out of the hundreds of people 493 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 6: who have been exonerated based on DNA evidence. Only thirteen 494 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 6: of them are women, and that's because a lot of 495 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 6: the crimes of which women are charged and convicted don't 496 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 6: involve DNA. 497 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: What's more, only eight to nine percent of all exoneries 498 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:27,720 Speaker 1: are women. 499 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 6: And part of that is because people tend to not 500 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 6: believe women. We've seen this throughout the Me Too movement, 501 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 6: and so somewhere along the line, I decided that if 502 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,719 Speaker 6: people were going to tell me they were innocent, I 503 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 6: was at least going to entertain that to be true. 504 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:51,480 Speaker 1: Despite the lack of any possible exonerating physical or forensic evidence, 505 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:55,320 Speaker 1: or any means of appeal or relief, Ann believed Millie 506 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 1: and dug into her case. 507 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 6: I believe her because, you know, everything that could corroborate 508 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,240 Speaker 6: her story in terms of research does corroborator story. 509 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: Ann also believes that Chad was solely responsible for these 510 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,280 Speaker 1: crimes and that his motive was manipulation. 511 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:18,480 Speaker 6: She had broken up with Chad, but he kept coming 512 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 6: back into the picture and you know, trying to, you know, 513 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,320 Speaker 6: as he said it, win back her affection, but mostly 514 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:29,600 Speaker 6: it was just regain control. In my estimation of their relationship, 515 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:34,320 Speaker 6: and so I think, you know, that is the impetus 516 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,920 Speaker 6: for the whole set of crimes that he believed if 517 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:41,800 Speaker 6: he could get her away from that house, that he 518 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 6: could have her for himself in whatever way, marry her, 519 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 6: but essentially just have total control over her. His motivation, 520 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 6: obviously was to as the actual shooter, to have his 521 00:31:57,120 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 6: sentence reduced, and the only way he was going to 522 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 6: be able to do that was to implicate her and 523 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:03,760 Speaker 6: to turn state's evidence against her what she did. 524 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 1: The Willow Project has tried to argue this and defend 525 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:12,080 Speaker 1: Millie's innocence the best they can. With no legal options 526 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:15,760 Speaker 1: for relief, Anne has been filing clemency petitions while being 527 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:22,840 Speaker 1: legislators and arguing for parole. Through the dog training program, 528 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: Nola has gotten to know Milli very well over the years. 529 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: They even co parent a dog together named Dasia. So 530 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 1: I asked her, you have written to the parole board 531 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 1: on Millie's behalf. What did you say in the letter? 532 00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 4: What I said in my letter is that I was 533 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 4: so happy to see how she had grown over the 534 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 4: years that she'd been up there. She'd not only improved 535 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 4: her training skills, it's a wonderfully specific skill set to 536 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 4: learn how to train service dogs, but it impacts so much. 537 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 4: I'd also say that I was really happy of how 538 00:32:57,200 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 4: she had developed those skills were working with other people. 539 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:05,960 Speaker 4: She became an excellent role model for our other trainers 540 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 4: and offenders. 541 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 1: And she's offered a job when she gets out. 542 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:13,600 Speaker 4: Correct. We would love to have her. I mean seriously, 543 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,040 Speaker 4: she has all the service dog skills that we would 544 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 4: love to see. Really, we'd welcome her. 545 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 1: Millie looks forward to getting out of prison and taking 546 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 1: that job, but for now, she spends a lot of 547 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:33,160 Speaker 1: time reflecting on her life and family. Milly grew closer 548 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:35,840 Speaker 1: to her mother before she died, so she's been grieving 549 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:38,560 Speaker 1: that loss over the years. She hasn't spoken to her 550 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:41,240 Speaker 1: brother since before the crime, and she no longer has 551 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:44,920 Speaker 1: a relationship with her father, but she's staying strong, moving 552 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:49,400 Speaker 1: forward and learning from her past. Is there anything you 553 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:54,920 Speaker 1: would say to younger you sixteen pre sixteen? Is there 554 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 1: anything you'd want her to know or any other girls 555 00:33:57,200 --> 00:33:57,960 Speaker 1: in that situation. 556 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 2: I was just want them to know that you never 557 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:08,800 Speaker 2: doubt themselves even though people are pushing them down, and 558 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:16,319 Speaker 2: just stand up for themselves. Don't give up, don't ever 559 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:19,319 Speaker 2: give up. Let your voice be heard like even though 560 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 2: people are telling you that you're the one in the wrong, 561 00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 2: just stand up for yourself. I'm not this bad person 562 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 2: that I've been made out to be like. I'm really not, 563 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:35,360 Speaker 2: and i just hope one day to get my second 564 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:41,520 Speaker 2: chance to prove to everybody. 565 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:44,439 Speaker 1: To find out more about the Willow Project and how 566 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 1: to help support wrongfully convicted women like Amelia and Angel, 567 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 1: go to Willow Project stl dot org. You can also 568 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 1: find links to Amelia's Facebook support page and to Champ Assistance. 569 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:56,880 Speaker 3: Dogs on our bio. 570 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:09,440 Speaker 1: Next time Unwrongful Conviction with Maggie Freeling Butch Martin, the. 571 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:13,279 Speaker 7: Fire marshal comes out and writes an opinion saying, you 572 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:17,000 Speaker 7: cannot say that this was an intentionally set fire. You 573 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:20,279 Speaker 7: could fill the shift in the court room when the 574 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:23,160 Speaker 7: judge and the prosecutor I think really started to realize, 575 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:26,359 Speaker 7: oh my goodness, we got an innocent man. 576 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:33,759 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freeling. Please 577 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:36,840 Speaker 1: support your local innocence organizations and go to the links 578 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 1: in our bio to see how you can help. I'd 579 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:42,720 Speaker 1: like to thank our executive producers Jason Flamm and Kevin Wurtis, 580 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: as well as our senior producer Annie Chelsea, producer Lyla Robinson, 581 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:50,080 Speaker 1: and story editor Sonia Paul. The show is edited and 582 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:53,760 Speaker 1: mixed by Annie Chelsea, with additional production by Jeff Cliburn 583 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:56,960 Speaker 1: and Connor Hall. The music in this production is by 584 00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 1: three time OSCAR nominated composer Jay Ralph. Be sure to 585 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:04,000 Speaker 1: follow us on Instagram at Wrongful Conviction, on Facebook at 586 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:08,080 Speaker 1: Wrongful Conviction Podcast, and on Twitter at wrong Conviction, as 587 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:09,560 Speaker 1: well as at Lava for Good. 588 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:11,440 Speaker 3: On all three platforms, you. 589 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:14,319 Speaker 1: Can also follow me on both Instagram and Twitter at 590 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:18,000 Speaker 1: Maggie Freeling. Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freeling is a production 591 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:21,560 Speaker 1: of Lava for Good Podcasts in association with Signal Company 592 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:32,000 Speaker 1: Number one