AFTER THE MEETING WITH COMMANDER L'ESPRANCE WE FELT LIKE THE WHOLE WORLD WAS LIFTED OFF OUR SHOULDERS. WE TRUSTED THEM SO COMPLETELY. A LIEUTENANT FRIEND OF MINE IN THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE WAS TOM L'ESPRANCE'S SPONSOR WHEN HE GOT MARRIED. HE SPOKE VERY HIGHLY OF TOM. HOW COULD WE NOT PUT OUR COMPLETE FAITH IN HIM? THEY WERE SO HONORABLE IN THEIR FEELINGS AND WHAT THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO TO HELP US. THE INTEGRITY THEY DISPLAYED GAVE US GREAT HOPE. AT THIS POINT WE PUT OUR SON IN THEIR HANDS! WE HAD A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THEM.

THE FIRST WEEK AFTER OUR MEETING ED LEDO CALLED ME AND TOLD ME HE SPOKE WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL SORRELL AND WITH ASSISTANT AG CINDY MAGUIRE. HE SAID THEY BOTH WOULD COOPERATE. THAT THEY WERE GOING TO LOOK INTO IT. THAT THEY WOULD GET THE GRAND JURY MINUTES AND COMPARE THEM WITH WHAT HE SAYS TO MY ATTORNEY AND CONFRONT SAND. I HAD A BAD FEELING. SORRELL THREW US OUT OF HIS OFFICE. WHY WOULD HE DO ANYTHING AGAINST SAND WHICH WOULD ALSO EMBARRASS HIM? I THOUGHT THAT THE STATE POLICE WOULD BE DOING THE INVESTIGATION. I WAS FEELING UNEASY ABOUT THIS!

AFTER THE MEETING WITH SAND I SET UP ANOTHER MEETING WITH ED LEDO. COMMANDER L'ESPRANCE COULD NOT MAKE IT. IN HIS PLACE CAME A LIEUTENANT WHOSE FIRST NAME IS TODD. THIS TIME MY ATTORNEY WOULD BE PRESENT SO HE COULD TELL WHAT HE FOUND OUT. I FELT REALLY CONFIDENT THAT THIS WOULD BE THE TURNING POINT IN THE CASE. THE EVIDENCE WAS TOO MUCH TO DISMISS.

3-18-09 -                                                                                                                                     

ED LEDO CAME TO OUR HOUSE FOR A MEETING TO DISCUSS THE EVIDENCE WE FOUND AGAINST SAND. WITH HIM WAS A LT. WHOSE FIRST NAME WAS TODD. I COULD SENSE SOMETHING NEGATIVE WITH HIM. HE WAS COLD AND STAND OFFISH. THERE WAS ALSO A DIFFERENCE IN ED LEDO. I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT BUT I COULD FEEL SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT HIM. ALSO PRESENT WERE MYSELF, RONNI, ATTORNEY PAUL BARNICLE, RANDY STAPLES AND AL TITCOMB.

PAUL STARTED IT OFF BY TELLING THEM ABOUT THE MEETING WITH SAND. HE SAID  AFTER VIEWING ALL OF THE EVIDENCE, THAT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT SAND HAD DELIBERATELY INFLUENCED THE JURY TO GET THOSE GUYS OFF THE MURDER CHARGE. HE STARTED TO TELL THEM WHAT HE HAD DISCOVERED, THE FALSE STATEMENTS, SAND LEADING THE WITNESSES. ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HE HAD FOUND WRONG. AT ONE POINT I MENTIONED JENKINS AND WHAT HE TESTIFIED. IMMEDIATELY THIS LT. TODD SAID, "JENKINS PERSONALLY WRESTLED WITH THAT!" THAT STATEMENT HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS BECAUSE THOSE WERE THE EXACT WORDS JENKINS HAD USED IN HIS GRAND JURY TESTIMONY! IT WAS NOW OBVIOUS JENKINS HAD TOLD THEM HIS TESTIMONY BECAUSE HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HE HAD DONE AND THEY WERE NOW TRYING TO EXPLAIN IT AWAY. NOW I COULD UNDERSTAND THE FEELING THAT I HAD. I FELT DECEPTION!

PAUL FINISHED TELLING THEM WHAT HE FOUND OUT BUT THEY SEEMED UNCONCERNED. ED ENDED THE MEETING BY SAYING THAT THEY WOULD GO AFTER SAND AND THE OTHER SUSPECTS. I DID NOT BELIEVE HIM. HE WAS NOT CONCERNED THIS TIME. THAT MUCH WAS OBVIOUS. EVERYONE FELT IT. WE WENT AWAY FROM THIS MEETING FEELING VERY BAD!

AT ONE POINT PAUL HAD ASKED IF ANY MEASUREMENTS HAD BEEN TAKEN OR IF THEY HAD REQUESTED THE PHONE RECORDS. THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT. PAUL ASKED IF THEY WOULD AT LEAST ORDER THE CELL PHONE RECORDS. THEY SAID THEY WOULD. WHY DIDN'T THEY DO THIS BEFORE MY LAWYER ASKED THEM TO?

THE NEXT DAY I CALLED TOM L'ESPRANCE AND TALKED TO HIM ABOUT JENKINS. I WANTED TO SEE WHAT HE WOULD SAY. IF HE WOULD LOOK INTO MY ALLEGATIONS. INSTEAD HE MADE EXCUSES FOR JENKINS. I COULD SENSE WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. FROM NOW ON THEY WOULD NOT BE HELPING US. IT WAS OBVIOUS THEY WERE GOING TO TRY TO SWEEP THIS UNDER THE RUG. THE NEXT DAY I RECEIVED A CALL FROM ED LEDO. HE SAID THAT HE HAS A MEETING WITH SAND IN THE NEXT WEEK. I ASKED IF HE WAS STILL GOING TO GET SAND OFF THE CASE. HE NOW CHANGED HIS STORY. HE SAID THAT THE ULTIMATE DECISION TO REMOVE SAND WOULD BE WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL SORRELL!

IT WAS NOW OBVIOUS. THEY WERE GOING TO LET THE AG MAKE THE DECISION AND THAT WAY THEY CAN SAY THEY DID THEIR PART. JUST LIKE SAND DID WHEN HE BROUGHT IT TO THE GRAND JURY. WE WERE DEVASTATED! THEY GOT OUR HOPES UP. MADE US TRUST THEM AND DASHED ALL HOPE OF OUR FINDING JUSTICE. I CAN'T EXPLAIN THE HORRIBLE DEVASTATION THAT WE FELT. THEY BETRAYED US!

HOW COULD THEY DO THAT? HOW COULD THEY BETRAY THE OATH THEY TOOK? MOST IMPORTANT, WHY?? THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. YOU WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO GET THIS OUT. THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO GET THIS DIRTY DA AND OFFICER OUT OF THERE. INSTEAD THEY ARE NOW BECOMING ACCESSORIES...