"Free Benjamine Spencer!

[Darcy Delaproser]

Mr. Spencer has spent just over half his life locked up for a crime he swears he did not commit. Spencer was arrested in March 1987 for the robbery and killing of Dallas business owner Jeffrey Young. Unlike the many wrongful-conviction cases that have resulted in exonerations, there is no DNA evidence to settle Spencer’s guilt or innocence. In fact, there was no physical evidence against him at all. The only material evidence against Spencer is the testimony of three West Dallas residents who said they saw Spencer dump the victim’s car in their neighborhood the night of the crime. Mr. Spencer believes they made up the story to collect a reward and the facts as we have reviewed them suggest that a significant bias to that effect exists. A lighting expert has since studied the area. He testified that with the darkness and distances involved, the witnesses couldn’t possibly have recognized Mr. Spencer or anyone else that night. After having visited the area at night ourselves, we believe that no identification could have been made at the distances described in the court papers. Also, the friend of a man known as the Batman, who had committed several crimes using the same methods as those used against the victim, testified that his friend bragged to him about killing the victim. Many of the facts described by the Batman’s friend were consistent with facts surrounding the murder that were never released to the public. Based upon the Batman’s friend’s testimony, that of the lighting expert and on other testimony, a Dallas judge ruled on March 28, 2008 that he believes Spencer is actually innocent. The Dallas judge recommended that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturn Spencer’s original conviction. Mr. Spencer continues to await their decision in a prison cell.

 

http://www.change.org/petitions/free-benjamine-spen
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