Kids in Prison Doing Hard Time

Where is due process!

My name is Robert Douglas. I am incarcerated at Graterford Prison in Pennsylvania for the past 18 years (the last three on Death Row) for crimes I was set up and framed for. I am not allowed at this time to go into specific deep details of the murder case due to the fact it is still pending in court. But I can give you an insight of the robbery case and the injustice that has been done to me. I cannot sit here and write that I was a saint out on the streets; if so, I would be lying to you but most of all to myself. I will share the facts of what happened to me.

I was arrested for a murder in July, 1981 which occurred in August, 1980. Also , that same day I was charged with a robbery which occurred in March, 1981. This was the beginning of a railroad.

On March 10, 1981, H.F. ( I will only use initials for identification purposes), a salesman was robbed. H.F. said he was visiting one of his clients, M.W. While leaving, he was grabbed by two men, one had a gun. H.F. hollered for help. D.S., a visitor at H.F.'s apartment. opened the door and looked out and said, "he's got a gun," and was then pulled back with two-seconds. M.W. dialed 911 still hearing HF. calling for help. She dialed 911 a second time. The robbers took H.F. to the basement of the house. M.W. and D.S. went to the window to wait for police.

A next door neighbor, A.W., heard the hollering and came out of her house to see what was happening. She saw and heard M.W. and D.S. hollering out the second story that their salesman was being robbed in the basement of the house while waiting for the police to arrive. She noticed one of the robbers trying to find the right key to H.F.'s red car. After finding the right key the robber entered the car and drove off.

Within seconds the police pulled into the same spot the red car was once parked in front of the house. The officer stepped out of his car, and the witness said," follow that car." The officer re-entered his car in pursuit of the red car. Other officers arrived at the scene and the witnesses told them, "there is one in the basement" of the house. The officers entered the basement with their guns pulled and found H.F. handcuffed to a pipe.

Then a radio call went over the police air stating they had one of the suspects after he crashed H.F.'s red car. H.F. was taken to the scene where he identified his car and the suspect as one of the robbers. All witnesses were then taken to the police station for interviews.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE SECOND SUSPECT (ME?)

At the time of the crime two witnesses gave descriptions of the second suspect.

1. D.S. who claims to have viewed the suspect in two seconds was 5'8", 185lbs., wearing a gray sweatshirt.

2. The police officer said the second suspect was N/M, 30's, approximately 200lbs, wearing a dark jacket. At the time I was 23 years of age, 6'1", 155lbs.

PHOTOS

A detective said another office gave him a photo of me saying I was a known associate of the suspect that was arrested during the day of the crime, and then took my photo along with the suspect's and went into a desk drawer and got four more and showed them to the three witnesses at the same time. When viewing the photos, M.W. told the police she had seen me in a bar before but not as the second subject in the robbery. When D.S. was asked to identify the second subject, she answered," I only saw the gun," but later after continuing to be questioned, now said that I was the second suspect. A.W. didn't identify anyone, H.F., the person who was robbed, was never shown any photos or asked to see them.

LINEUP

I asked my lawyer to get me a lineup because of my innocence. Remember, H.F. never viewed or asked to see photos. But to ensure that I was picked out, they arranged to have M.W. also view the lineup. She went first and didn't pick anyone. Then H.F. went right in and identified me like the crime happened minutes ago. I asked why was M.W. brought to the lineup when she said that he never viewed a second suspect. She was asked the following...

Q. Without the benefits of any photos, you can pick Mr. Douglas out today and say I saw him before many, many times?

A. Yes

This question really shows why she was brought here to tell H.F. what number I was. That's why she was allowed to view the lineup first.

THE CAR

To tie me deeper into the case, the police came up with a theory that I was in the other getaway car (green) that was parked in front of the house. Police said the green car pulled out before the red car. They got the license plate of the red car. They said they were 8-10 feet behind the green car but forgot to get the license plate number, saying the car was going 90mph southbound on a northbound street and when they noticed the passenger (me) pointed a shotgun out the window and they lost the car.

TRIAL

I was found guilty of all charges and sentenced to 20-40 years in prison.

CONCLUSION

They first labeled me as an associate of the suspect and didn't show any connection between me and the second suspect. Then they got the witness to change her first answer when told to identify the second suspect. Also, in her statement, she stated I held a gun to H.F.'s head. But in H.F.'s statement, he never mentioned anything about me and the suspect was the one with the gun to his head. But at the trial he was allowed to get away with perjury. He said he gave a description of only one subject (me), but it showed in his statement that he never said anything in it concerning me. The court blew past mistakes like this and also the description the two witnesses gave:

1. I was 5'8", 185lbs., gray sweatshirt

1. I was 200lbs. wearing a dark jacket.

When at the time I was 6'1", 155lbs.

I'll answer all and any questions addressed to me.

Talib R. Douglas #AY-3357
Box 244
Graterford, PA 19426

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