VA - Michelle Moore-Bosko, 18, raped & murdered, Norfolk, 8 July 1997

[Cappuccino]

I know that police can force someone into a confession and it happens all the time, but 4 people into one, now thats crazy!!

Look at the case of the Central Park Five - all five of them confessed. Or the Beatrice Six, where only three of them confessed, but they carried on confessing after they were convicted, and testified against the other three at trial!

And both cases were absolute rubbish. The Central Park case is particularly tragic, because while five innocent teenagers were languishing in prison, the real rapist went on to rape again and he killed his next victim.

People should think of that before they assume only the guilty need to lawyer up. If those five innocents had lawyered up that other woman would probably still be alive.

 

[joe jones]

the mantra of never ever ever talk to LE without an attorney present is one that should be taught by every parent to every child, and it should be discussed in families,

it does not mean you should not talk to and co operate with LE, it means you need legal protection from any funny business they may or may not pull

LE are legally allowed to lie to you to elicit a confession, that one single fact alone needs the playing field needs levelling by you getting an attorney each and every time you go to a police station to talk to LE,

 

[bessie]

The rape and murder of Michelle Moore-Bosko has been solved. Omar Ballard is serving a 41 year sentence for Bosko's rape and murder and the rape and beating of a 14 year-old girl. Four others were wrongfully convicted in the Bosko case. Three are still fighting to clear their names.

PBS Frontline The Confessions

August 6, 2009
Gov. Tim Kaine grants Williams, Dick and Tice conditional pardons -- they are released from prison but their convictions stand, which means they must register as sex offenders and be on probation. Wilson was not pardoned because he had already served his sentence.

August 4, 2011
A judge drops two felony charges against Derek Tice at the request of special prosectuor D.J. Hansen, offically making Tice a free man.

Timeline

August 4, 2011
Derek Tice, who was convicted of the 1997 rape and murder of Michelle Moore-Bosko, is officially a free man after Norfolk Circuit Court Judge Charles Poston dropped two felony charges against him as recommended by special prosecutor D.J. Hansen, who originally tried the case. Tice claims he was convicted based on a confession coerced by then-Norfolk, Va. detective Robert Glenn Ford, who is now in jail on charges unrelated to the Norfolk Four case.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/front...rfolk-four-cleared-of-rapemurder-charges.html

By Louis Hansen
The Virginian-Pilot © July 5, 2011 NORFOLK
Three men convicted for the rape of a Navy wife more than a decade ago have appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court for exoneration.


A Norfolk judge rejected appeals from Danial Williams, Joseph Dick and Eric C. Wilson in February, saying their petitions came too late to be considered. The men want the case reopened because of misconduct by a former Norfolk police detective.

http://hamptonroads.com/2011/07/three-norfolk-four-appeal-va-high-court

By Louis Hansen
The Virginian-Pilot © August 16, 2012
NORFOLK
A panel of judges from the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rejected an appeal by Eric C. Wilson, a former Navy sailor convicted of rape and later partially exonerated in the 1997 assault and murder of a young woman in Ocean View.

http://hamptonroads.com/2012/08/panel-denies-hearing-norfolk-four-convict

http://justicedenied.org/wordpress/archives/1416

http://www.norfolkfour.com/

Should they recieve clemency? - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[bessie]

By Louis Hansen
The Virginian-Pilot © August 16, 2012
NORFOLK
A panel of judges from the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rejected an appeal by Eric C. Wilson, a former Navy sailor convicted of rape and later partially exonerated in the 1997 assault and murder of a young woman in Ocean View.

http://hamptonroads.com/2012/08/panel-denies-hearing-norfolk-four-convict

 

[TedMac]

http://www.wavy.com/news/local-news...tate-city-in-groundbreaking-payout/1098747024

'Norfolk Four' to get money from state, city in groundbreaking payout
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Four sailors wrongfully convicted of and imprisoned for rape and murder will receive compensation from both the Commonwealth of Virginia and the City of Norfolk.

A state lawmaker who sponsored the legislation says it's the first time in Virginia where someone will be compensated for both their time behind bars and the time afterward when they were required to be on the sex offender registry.

"This was such an egregious act, unfathomable in my mind," said Del. Chris Jones, (R) Suffolk, calling it the worst miscarriage of justice he has ever seen.

The case involved the July, 1997 rape and murder of Michelle Moore Bosko in her Norfolk apartment.

Sailors Danial Williams, Joseph Dick, and Derek Tice were convicted of rape and murder. Eric Wilson was convicted of rape.

Their DNA didn't match the evidence. Their confessions were forced. The lead detective was corrupt.

Another man eventually confessed to the rape and murder and his DNA matched the evidence from the apartment."

 

[WilliamHolder]

Don't believe these men are innocent. The "Innocence Project" cases I've looked at seem pretty solid and all have hinged on false confessions or DNA tied to another individual - that is the contemporary investigation and evidence looks solid. Why anyone would confess to do time rather than face a jury is beyond me - especially adults who have been afforded competent representation and where there is no physical coercion / torture. Here we have sailors who have been in tough situations for an extended period of time - at least in basic training but can't hold up to being questioned? Did the confessions come on the advice of their lawyer? DNA - just proves who was there not who wasn't there.
I am particularly frustrated here because Google has scrubbed all original news and docs. Does anybody have links to the taped confessions? Mother recalls seeing them and is horrified men were released.
Ballard confessed before any of these men were sentenced or tried. There must have been significant evidence beyond the confession to secure convictions - in one trial the jury returned a verdict in under an hour.
It just seems to me that once you're proven guilty, one should have proof of innocence before someone is released or a verdict / sentence overturned - finding another suspects DNA doesn't cut it, that's just evidence another person was involved.
In this case as in other "Innocence" cases the DNA or confession comes from someone who has little or nothing to lose as they are already doing extensive time for other crimes - that simply isn't convincing to me. While I haven't viewed the PBS documentary, a project by a liberal producer doesn't move me to believe these guys weren't involved. I'd much rather see the original evidence and hear from the detectives and prosecutors who brought the case.