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James Harry Reyos
I was
contacted by James Harry Reyos in 2004 after he
read a message posted by me on an Internet discussion group, causing him to
visit this website. After studying his case, which I found most disturbing, I
concluded that he was amongst one of the very few of the 200+ cases I have
studied, wrongly convicted.
He
was convicted of murdering an Irish priest named Father Patrick Ryan, who was
violently bludgeoned to death in a motel room in Odessa, Texas, USA, shortly before the Christmas
of 1981. He was convicted of the murder in 1983, partly (we believe) because
he was a Native American, homosexual with an alcohol problem and was accused
of killing a highly respected priest. Father Ryan was certainly homosexual,
accused of abusing young men, but this was only first revealed during James'
trial. Understandably the jury would not have liked to believe such claims,
which have been proven since the conviction. The prejudice against James
because of his lifestyle and race would have resulted in the jury seeing him
in a negative light.
Although James was released from prison, on parole, last year, he is still a
convicted murderer. Having questioned him I am highly satisfied that he is
innocent. He is one of the very small number of
people whose innocence I am absolutely certain of. I have found independent
material to substantiate everything he has told me. He has the support of a
number of politicians and lawyers, including an attorney involved in the
prosecution against him. I have written to State Representatives in the USA,
President Bush and Vice President Cheney, the media, other officials and the
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to voice my concern and present an
argument which I hope will, in conjunction with the work of others, lead to
the conviction being overturned. James is requesting a Full Pardon on the
grounds of Innocence. We are hoping for nothing less than that and anything
other than a Full Pardon will be unsatisfactory.
James has a growing amount of support amongst the media and politicians in
the USA. All signs are very encouraging and we are hopeful that a decision,
and most importantly the right decision in James' favour, will be reached
before long. We had expected the decision to have been made before now but we
hope that this will be a case of "all good things come to those who
wait." Although James has been waiting for justice for as long as I have
been on this earth (he was charged with murder in the Autumn of 1982). The
waiting is frustrating for James but he is a remarkably patient man. His
whole attitude to his situation is truly an inspiration to us all.
Here is the first message he sent to me, which summarises many details:
'Check out this miscarriage of
justice. Prosecuting attorney, Dennis Cadra said
the following: "Despite my 16 years as a prosecutor, I came to the firm
conclusion that it was physically impossible for Mr. Reyos
to have committed the crime for which he has been in a Texas penitentiary for
almost eight years." He wrote this to the then Governor Ann Richards, in
1992.
The following is taken verbatim
from "Shadows Of A Doubt: by Howard Swindle, Investigator Reporter,
DALLAS MORNING NEWS (Sunday, July 4, 1993): "In the 6-inch prosecution
file on the homicide of Patrick Joseph Ryan, there are autopsy reports, lab
results, interview statements and leads that had taken detectives to Denver
City [TX], Plains [TX], and Albuquerque and Hobbs, NM. Not in the file is any
physical evidence to indicate that Mr. Reyos had
ever been in Room 126 of the Sand and Sage Motel. Quite the contrary. An FBI
lab report dated April 27, 1983 noted 'The five latent fingerprints and the
two latent impressions are not the fingerprints or palm prints of Reyos,' the FBI examiner wrote. Wrote the Texas
Department of Public Safety Crime Lab in Midland on May 30, 1983, 'None of
the numerous hair from the scene previously examined
resembled head or pubic hair from the suspect (Reyos).'
Also in the file is a report written by Detective Jerry Smith, the primary
Odessa Police Department investigator, six days after the death of Father
Ryan: 'At about 5:30 p.m., Det. Casey completed Reyos polygraph. Det. Casey
advised that he felt Reyos was truthful and was not
involved in the homicide.'"
On Wednesday, April 23, 2003,
prosecuting attorney Dennis Cadra stated on TV's
"American Justice": "Mr Reyos
couldn't have, couldn't have committed the murder."
Why am I still being unjustly
punished for this crime I DID NOT COMMIT?!!!!!!
Thank you. James.'
To read my letter to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which contains
far more details about the case and my arguments for James' innocence, please
click here
There is one man who is regarded by many to be Father Patrick Ryan's
killer. The man's identity remains a mystery. One year after the murder
(around the same time James was charged with killing Father Ryan) he went to
a church in Boise, Idaho, USA, to make confession. Whilst waiting he
swallowed a cyanide tablet. On his person he had a large sum of money to pay
for his funeral and a cryptic note. The note was signed with a false name
(studies of the signature suggest it cannot be a genuine signature - it looks
too false, as if the individual was not used to signing that name. The
surname 'Toomey' was fully explored, with no one of that name being reported
missing). The man is also suspected of killing another priest who was
murdered in very similar circumstances to Father Ryan. Did the Boise Doe kill
Father Ryan, did James Reyos, or did someone else?
Nearly twenty four years after the murder no one can be quite sure of the
exact truth. What is certain, however, is that Father Ryan's killer has not
yet faced justice and has let an innocent man pay for his crime.
James Harry Reyos now has a campaign website (past
of this website). The website is available at: www.sclomax.co.uk/Home.htm
To return to the Cases of Interest index please click here
To return to my home page please click here
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