Who is Curtis Flowers? A lot of people have opinions, but those who grew up with Curtis are uniquely qualified to speak. Michelle Milner contacted Friends of Justice shortly after Mr. Flowers was convicted and sentenced to die by lethal injection. Michelle is a doctoral student in urban higher education at Jackson State University with a research interest in justice-related higher education.
I have observed with considerable angst the circus that has surrounded Curtis Flowers for some 13 years…a sort of morbid fascination with the injustice and racism that I see displayed. The prosecution’s distortion of Curtis Flowers as a murderer would be laughable if not for the fact that the individuals actually believe this pack of lies. The Curtis Flowers that I know could never have committed a crime such as this one.
I met Curtis as a teenager. I lived in a small town neighboring Winona, MS. Since our small community didn’t have very much to offer in the way of entertainment so we frequently traveled to nearby Winona, MS to attend games, dances, and participate in other activities. I struggle to remember our very first introduction because I honestly can’t remember a time as a teen that I didn’t know him or know of him.
Curtis is the kind of person that makes you feel instantly at ease. He is laid back, kindhearted, funny, and very easy to like. Some of the young men in Winona would fight with young men from our community, sort of a rivalry and a way to keep them away from the girls in Winona. He was never a participant in any of that foolishness. As a matter of fact I never remember him being involved in any altercations even when he was provoked. He dated a girl that lived near me for a short time. She never mentioned violence or a mean streak. Curtis had it all—good looks, great personality, charm, and a beautiful tenor voice that he used with the Unionaires (a male singing group). I have to admit it wasn’t always my love of Gospel music that made me search out churches where he would be singing. He was always willing to laugh and talk after service. We loved to hear him sing. I’m sure “the Curtis Effect” was obvious by the number of younger females that filled the audience during the time that the group sang. That’s the Curtis Flowers that I know and remember. He was a smiling, lighthearted, down-to-earth, fun-loving, and grounded Christian that boldly sang of God’s grace and goodness. I don’t remember which songs he sang, but I remember that he sang them with conviction and boldness.
This is not the say that Curtis was perfect. I’m sure he was as much of a prodigal as I was, but murder is completely and totally inconsistent with his character, morals, upbringing, and past history. Now add to what I have just shared a mental picture of a person wrongfully convicted, incarcerated for 13 years (on death row for part of that time)–still able to sing in the prison choir and avoid all disciplinary actions. That’s the Curtis Flowers I know. It’s perfectly consistent with who he is and who I know him to be that he would endure this travesty of justice—this attempt to legally lynch him—by leaning on his faith in God, using his gift of song to minister to others, and staying clear of trouble. The only part of his story that is improbable and farfetched is the attempt to pin the Tardy murders on him. If we take away the inept investigation with its flawed evidence/conclusions, prosecutorial misconduct, blatant racism, and fervor to charge somebody—gimme anybody mentality of the predominantly White citizens of Winona community there would be no case against Curtis Flowers.
Some would say that I have no way of knowing a murderer and how a murderer could disguise their true character. However, I would say to those detractors that I have been active in prison ministry for nearly nine years. During that time I’ve noticed that most prisoners in Mississippi are African-American, indigent, and poorly educated. Being a member of one of these groups is indicative of powerlessness. This lack of social and economic power begets a lack of justice. In Mississippi, African-Americans make up less than 40% of the total population but approximately 70% of the incarcerated population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). This dismal statistic signifies that the blindfold of justice has slipped. Couple this with a study done by the Equal Justice Institute (http://eji.org/eji/files/Race%20and%20Jury%20Selection%20Report.pdf) where the Mississippi Supreme court acknowledges that racial discrimination in jury selection in widespread and it’s easy to see why the prison population has so many African-Americans incarcerated on flimsy, circumstantial, and contrived evidence. African-Americans facing criminal charges are considered expendable.
I am struck by my own passivity concerning this case. I’ve sat back for 13 years — silently praying and hoping against hope that Curtis would be freed. I’m well-educated with an elevated Black and social consciousness and yet I watched as an innocent was railroaded with not so much as a murmur of protest. I wept as I read A Lesson before Dying, digested every word Angela Davis has ever written, inscribed the story of Fannie Lou Hamer on my brain and still I sat silently. As have most of the African-American population in that area.
After this sixth trial, where a tainted jury took less than 30 minutes to deliberate, I could no longer tolerate the deafening sound of my own silence. And so I’ve decided to leave the safety of the sidelines and plunge headlong into the battle with someone I consider to be a brother and friend– much as James Baldwin came alongside Angela Davis during her incarceration with these words written nearly 40 years ago: “If we know, and do nothing, we are worse than the murderers hired in our name. If we know, then we must fight for your life as though it were our own—which it is—and render impassable with our bodies the corridor to the gas chamber. For, if they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night.”
Silence makes me a co-conspirator, and I refuse to exist peacefully in silence when I can lift up my voice and my hands to help my brother.
Friends of Justice 
On what basis do you call this a tainted jury?
Thank you, Michelle Milner.
You may work with someone, be friends, and really think you know that person, but believe me, when it comes right down to it, you don’t know that person at all. I worked with a person for several years, was good friends, considered to be really close and knew that person, but one day I found out that I really didn’t know that person at all. It was a front! That person was a different person behind closed doors. Everyone bragged on this person and in their eyes, there was not a better person, but come down to it, no one really knew this person at all. It is so sad when a person you really love and care about turns out to be someone that you really didn’t know at all. So sad!!
Charles you need to thank her for you don’t find many that will take up for Flowers. Just a few dummies like you and Bean. by the way, get you a new hat!
I refuse to stoop to name-calling. When I decide I need a new hat, I’ll get one.
Sorry Anna,
that your friend did not work out to what you wanted. Love hides a multitude of fault. Michelle did not say she was in love with Curtis, she was writting on behalf of someone she knew. She talked about character, love for God and ministering through songs. If anyone can sat in a court room and listening to all the lies that was told, even to no 2 people could describe the same clothing he was wearing or the color of his skin. Something is wrong with 12 people sitting on an jury and not have reasonable doubt. Then satan has blinded their ear and they were unable to hear what was coming out of the liar mouth. I pray that God will prevail because Jesus has given him peace in time of trouble, NO ONE BY A CHRISTIAN COULD UNDERSTAND THAT. But GOD says the battle is not his (curtis), it belong to him (GOD) Thank-You God. Sorry about your relationship. We cannot judge everyone according to our bad experiences. I pray that God will give you peace and you can go on with your life and be happy.
Marie,
The thing about the description of the clothing being different- it’s been 14 years. However, all of the witnesses knew Curtis Flowers personally. They didn’t have to give a physical description (about 5’10, dark skin, etc.) because they KNEW him and simply said they saw Curtis.
I don’t understand why you are so convinced that all these people are lying. You were not in the courtroom to see their demeanor – the jurors were. And, once again, the jurors found the prosecution witnesses credible. The defense witnesses were the ones who were not believable. When Connie Moore would not even acknowledge that the shoes taken off Flowers feet when he was arrested were size 10.5 she lost all credibility. Her testimony has changed in every trial.
Sickofthis: If Katherine Snow (to pick one example) KNEW Curtis, wouldn’t she have known he was five-ten? Then why would she describe a man four inches shorter when she first talked to investigators? The issue isn’t just that the physical descriptions differ–they have nothing in common. One woman sees Curtis wearing a pair of white shorts. A minute later Curtis passes another woman who says he is wearing dress pants, a white dress shirt and a sweater (this on one of the hottest days of the summer).
This suggests that some of these witnesses saw Curtis at one time or another, but not on the same day.
Sure, it’s been 14 years. But the witnesses are shown their original statements before taking the witness stand; that’s why they tell exactly the same story every time they testify.
Memory is extremely tricky, especially when you are being asked to remember something that happened nine months ago (as in the case of Mary Jeanette Fleming). There is no way she can be certain that she saw Curtis on the day of the murders after that long a time lapse. It is possible, however, that she thinks she saw him. I suspect that Katherine Snow thinks she saw Curtis too. That’s what memory does; it doesn’t give us a video tape of what happened; it recreates the event anew every time it is remembered. That’s why 75% of the wrongful conviction cases overturned by DNA evidence involve faulty eye-witness testimony.
But it isn’t just faulty memory that is at issue here. We’re also talking about manipulative investigative techniques. When you prowl the poor side of town with a picture of the suspect in one hand and an advertisement for a $30,000 reward in the other you are going to get takers sooner or later regardless of the circumstances. When you pick people up at their places of work. unannounced, and spirit them off to the police station you will inspire fear. People who never would have come forward of their own volition can easily be manipulated into saying whatever the state wants them to say. In time, they may even believe they are telling the truth.
You can’t prove that these people are lying. But you can prove that the kind of investigative techniques utilized by John John et al are dangerous and likely to produce testimony that is (a) completely unreliable and (b) perfectly credible to jurors who have no idea how the testimony was produced.
The public has no idea how easily testimony can be created out of nothing; how easily jailhouse snitches can be manipulated; how unreliable the human memory really is. Why did Curtis Flowers remember waking up three hours later in interview two than in interview one? Because that’s how memory works. When you are between jobs (a rare experience for Curtis Flowers, by the way) you don’t keep regular hours and you have a hard time keeping track of what happened when. This sounds very incriminating until you realize that, if Curtis was trying to invent an alibi (a) story one worked better than story two and (b) he would have maintained a consistent narrative.
Finally, Connie Moore said that Curtis didn’t wear size 10.5 running shoes because he doesn’t. He wears size 11. Not a big difference, of course. But the police took two pairs of shoes from Curtis: one a size 10.5; the other a size 11. The 10.5 shoes had originally been worn by Archie Flowers Sr. and had stretched just enough for Curtis (who was short on money at the time) to inherit them from the old man. Connie could have clarified her answer if the defense had followed up, but they didn’t.
Bean, you have the answers for every question, don’t you? But who believes them???? Only you!!! If Curtis Flowers is so innocent, why didn’t he get the shoes and turn them in and say…. here are the shoes, they aren’t mine and they don’t fit my feet. Simple as that and it wouldn’t have even went to trial. It could have saved everyone the pain and suffering for Curtis Flowers and the victims families. I don’t understand. For someone who claims to be so innocent, seems like he didn’t try to make anyone believe that he did not commit the murders. If it had been were me, I believe I would have found a way to find the shoes some how or other. Looks like if Curtis Flowers girlfriend cared anything about him at the time, she would have gotten the shoes and proved that those were not Curtis Flowers shoes. Something isn’t right about this story!!!! If you are so smart and know everything, answer this question.
Marie, I was talking about a friend, not a boyfriend or lover. I was not in a relationship and I have went on with my life. I just felt sorry for my friend’s family. They are the ones that was hurt by the person who they thought was a wonderful loving christian at one time, but the devil took over her life and her life and others were ruined. Some people put on a good act in front of other people, but no one knows what goes on in their minds behind closed doors! They could act like angel, but be a devil in disguise!!
I think the events of that particular day stand out in the memory of everyone who lived in Winona at that time, kind of like the day Kennedy was assassinated. I know I am not a good judge of height myself. Ms. Snow said she knew Curtis from seeing him sing around town. She may not have ever stood beside him to know his height.
None of these witnesses have ever tried to claim any reward. Katerine Snow testified she was terrified- not of the police, but of Curtis Flowers.
Connie would not admit on the stand that the pair of shoes removed from
Curtis’ feet belonged to him. We both know that Curtis failed a lie detector test as well. I know that can’t be used in court, but it should be noted.
Anna:
In previous trials, Connie and Marcus Moore have testified that Connie bought the shoes for Marcus, Marcus went to live with his biological father, outgrew the shoes and threw them away. Now, you can call that a lie if you choose, but if the story is accurate neither Curtis nor Connie had any shoes to produce. Curtis certainly could have fit into a 10.5, it just wasn’t the size he wore. This is a perfectly sensible explanation. That doesn’t make it the truth, of course, but the state has never demonstrated that the shoe box and the shoe print is more than simple coincidence. I admit, however, that this is the best piece of evidence the state has in its possession. If they thought they could build a case on it they wouldn’t have spent nine months looking for people willing to tell the story their way.
Katherine Snow has repeatedly testified that the repeated trips to the police station made her sick with fear. I know this because I have carefully reviewed her testimony in each of the trials. True, none of the witnesses has ever tried to claim the reward. It was contingent on a final conviction and this case has never cleared the appeals process. Secondly, it is entirely likely that there is no reward money. Does anyone know how much money was raised? Does anyone know who holds the money? It was reasonable to believe, in the beginning, that there was a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow; but no one believes that now.
Katherine testified she was afraid she would come home and find her family dead like the people at the furniture store.
I have read a lot of your articles where you mentioned $30,000 reward was the reason a lot of the witnesses testified for the prosecution and I never read any other article mentioning $30,000. Where did you get your information from? I figured you knew for sure that $30,000 was raised and who was holding the money. The way your articles have been written, most of them mentioned the $30,000. I was just wondering how you knew this. I do imagine it took a more than 9 months to raise this much money for the witnesses to come forward to testify. I don’t think any of the witnesses want the money, they just want to get on with their life.
Anna:
The reward money comes up a lot in the various trials; the defense implying that the witnesses may have invented testimony out of greed, the state asking the witnesses if this is true, if they ever tried to get any reward money and if they ever received any reward money.
It appears that the first reward offered was for $15,000. By July 25 (nine days after the crime) it was up to $30,000. Fundraising events were held to help raise money.
No one seems to know what became of the money that was raised for the reward, who has the money or how much was raised. However, there is no controversy here. Everyone agrees that the reward was offered.
Odell Hallmon initially testified that he and his sister, Patricia, cooked up their story in order to get the reward money. He later changed his story saying that Curtis took advantage of Odell’s addiction to cigarettes to entice him into lying on his dear sister.
The reward probably had little influence on witnesses like Katherine Snow, but it may have played a large roll for others. There are several people who say they were offered the reward by investigators and some of these folks have testified to that effect–although they generally aren’t asked to testify for reasons that escape me.
It must be remembered that none of these people, with the possible exception of Patricia Hallmon, approached investigators. Investigators went door-to-door. John Johnson was adamant on this point at the most recent trial. So we aren’t talking about people who made up lies and went to the authorities eager for money. If greed played a role it was never the only factor influencing witnesses. Fear was part of the mix, as is always the case when poor folks come in contact with authority figures. Some may genuinely believe they saw Curtis on the day in question. There is really no way of knowing.
Here’s the point. When a reward is on the table, and everybody knows it, investigators have to be very cautious about what people tell them. There is no evidence that John Johnson or Doug Evans exercized the slightest caution. This being the case, it quickly became obvious that the authorities would believe anything you said if Curtis was part of the picture.
Most people wouldn’t lie for money. Some people will. When it takes nine months of door-to-door to get your witnesses it is probable that some of the witnesses you come up with can’t be trusted. But how can you tell? You can’t.
The assumption is that one or two liars may be in the mix but that all these folks can’t be lying.
My contention is that the investigation of the Tardy murders involved the manufacture of testimony on a grand scale. Everyone knew what the authorities wanted to hear. Memory is highly subject to suggestion and influence.
How do you tell true memory from false memory? Simple. True memory fades over time and, as it fades, confidence in the accuracy of the memory gradually erodes. False memory grows more distinct over time and confidence in the accuracy of the memory gradually increases.
Unfortunately, jurors aren’t aware of these facts.
By the way, if you think I’m just being Mr. Smarty-pants again, my opinions on memory have been heavily influenced by “The Science of False Memory” by Brainerd and Reyna, part of the Oxford Psychology Series. I read all 500 pages before I published a word on the Flowers case and I invite my critics to do the same.
Alan Bean
There is also no EVIDENCE to suggest Evans and Johnson did anything wrong. Only the word of those who are trying to get Flowers off. One example of this is Dockery Jones, his first cousin, who testified in the latest trial that Evans was present when Johnson offered him money to lie. Why is this only coming out now, in the sixth trial? Desparation. Why are these witnesses so believable to FOJ when they appear fourteen years later and the old folks sitting on their porches that have not changed their testimony at all are all lying or mistaken?
These witnesses did not go to the police because they didn’t want to get involved, or they knew the Flowers family and didn’t want to get Curtis into trouble, or they were afraid to get involved. These witnesses are not criminals who would have been afraid of the police. There are at least as many African-American police officers on the Winona police force as there are white officers so it wasn’t a racial thing.
Odell has been through the Kairos prison ministry and has totally changed his life. He has passed a lie detector test and is telling the truth. He has no reason at all to lie. What would be the benefit to him?
Curtis Flowers took the lie detector test and failed it, wonder why some people pass and some don’t? Curtis Flowers is guilty and Bean knows it. He just want’s all the publicity he can get and he’s not getting much these days for some reason.
Anna,
I know that has probably been the case. However, I have known Curtis for a long time…not just him but his family. We grew up in adjacent communities and if he had something hidden it would have been revealed…prior to this heinous crime. Dr. Phil says the best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. If you delete the accusations of murder his behavior/personality/character is consistent. This is about a person being considered guilty until proven innocent instead of innocent until proven guilty. I’m not in love with Curtis, but he is a child of God and Jesus admonishes us to love one another. I’m am very saddened that an innocent man has lost over a decade of his life. The victims’ families deserve to have the real perpetrator put behind bars.
Marie…exactly…there is at the very least reasonable doubt. This is a dog and pony show and I pray that God will yank the covers off and expose the misdeeds surrounding this case. I feel ill when I think that people could so easily turn another individual over to die because of preconceived notions. There are so many holes in the testimony and evidence a blind man could see through it.
Anna:
Some people pass lie detector tests because they are testifying for the state. Suspects never pass. There is a reason for that. There is no valid science behind the polygraph because there is no data suggesting that the physiological reactions of innocent and guilty people are any different. When you have been accused of a monstrous crime you may react emotionally when asked about it, but this is no indicator of guilt. The scientific assumptions underlying the polygraph (and every other bogus lie detector test) are hopelessly flawed. That is why courts won’t allow polygraph “evidence” into the courtroom. Polygraphs are considered a valid interrogation tool because it is an effective way of eliciting confessions. The public doesn’t generally read scientific reviews debunking the polygraph and investigators make the most of this fact. You tell a guy that the test is 100% accurate. You give him the test. You tell him he failed (even if he didn’t). Some innocent suspects have been so overwhelmed by this experience that they sign a quasi-confession (which is usually quickly recanted but will stand up in court nontheless). They can’t remember doing the deed, but the test doesn’t lie. The public doesn’t know that the courts have given investigators the freedom to lie to suspects willy-nilly. They can make up fake evidence. They can say that family members and associates have signed statements implicating the suspect even when this isn’t true. There are very few restrictions on what investigators can say and do. Moreover, they rarely record interrogations so we generally have their word for what goes on behind closed doors.
In other words, the polygraph allegedly administered to Flowers wasn’t intended to detect lies–that can’t be done. It was intended to undermine his confidence. In that sense, Curtis didn’t fail the test; the test failed to shake Curtis.
Right!! Then why have lie detector test???? If they don’t work, why have them???? For some reason, I don’t believe a word you say, so tell it to someone who does believe you!!!
Anna:
A tip. Multiple exclamation marks, like writing in all caps, makes you sound frantic. I don’t think that’s what you’re going for. My information about the use of polygraphs comes from Police Interrogation and American Justice, by Richard Leo, Harvard University Press. Why use a polygraph? Because people believe they work and will often break down and confess when told they have failed the polygraph. That helps solve cases, saves time, avoids jury trials, etc. Our criminal justice system is completely overwhelmed. We don’t have enough judges, prosecutors or defense attorneys to cover all the cases. That’s why 90% of cases are settled by plea bargain (95% in the federal system). Polygraphs clear cases and save time and money.
Your so full of CRAP!
My wife would agree with you on that, I’m afraid.
Well Bean if you were charged with capital murder and had none what so ever involvement, sitting at your house minding your very own business you dont think you could pass a lie dect test? Whatever. I promise you and everybody in the world if it was me and I had nothing to do with a crime, I would pass the test and would be glad to get up on the stand and show you I was innocent. It doesnt take much sence to know that if your not guilty of something its not hard to prove your innocent. I promise you I would be heard and everybody would hear me if I was innocent. But on the other hand its idiots in this world like you that love the drama.
You are right Benjie. Bean knows Curtis Flowers could never pass the lie detector test, because he is guilty.
Benjie:
If the State of Mississippi accused you of murder and came up with a dozen eye-witnesses placing you at or near the scene of the crime you would have a hard time proving your innocence. You would fail the polygraph if the folks administering it didn’t want you to pass. I repeat, there is no scientific basis to the polygraph. If you couldn’t establish an air-tight alibi you would be in deep trouble.
You probably have a hard time believing that the state would ever do that to you–and I suspect you have little to worry about on that score. I don’t either. But Curtis Flowers isn’t as fortunate as you and me.
Well Alan, thats the problem you believe that the state just made all of this up about Curtis and told the witnesses what to say. What a fool you are to believe such garbage. Your right, I do have a hard time believing that the state would do that to me, you, Curtis or anybody else as far as that goes because thats not what happened and you know it. Curtis Flowers wasnt before July 16th or will ever be as fortunate as me because he has shown that from his actions.
Flowers comes from a very good family and is as well off as many of the citizens of Winona both black and white. His family is well-respected and he had the same advantages and disadvantages that most of the citizens of Winona have. The difference is what he chose to do with his life.
I do not believe and I never will believe that the state of Mississippi would make up all the evidence in the case against him.
Well, if the state of Mississippi finds itself represented by Doug Evans and John Johnson it might do all sorts of things that you might disapprove of. Consider this quote from Bernard Weisberg, writing in 1961. “The most unique feature of police station questioning is its characteristic secrecy. It is secrecy which creates the risk of abuses, which by keeping the record incomplete makes the rules about coercion vague and difficult to apply, which inhibits the development of clear rules to govern police interrogation.” I want to know what transpired between men like John Johnson and the folks who have been taking the stand these past fourteen years. Why did none of these people come forward of their own volition? Where they standing up for a brother? If so, why did they stop standing up for him? If not, why did they keep their precious knowledge to themselves. Every last person the state is using to implicate Curtis Flowers lacks credibility. They are all weak people. Not bad people, but weak and frightened. I don’t know why they suddenly remembered seeing Curtis in incriminating places–often after seven or nine months of silence–and I have no way of finding out because the records of the investigation are so scant. If Johnson et al spent nine months coming up with this assortment of witnesses, how many people did they question? Latarsha Blissett, Kittery Jones and several others report being plied with the reward money. Was this typical? Was it universal? Or are these folks lying to protect a brother?
You mention the fine family Curtis hails from. People who commit senseless acts of violence generally come from the worst families imaginable. This was not a crime one would normally associate with a good-natured gospel singer. If Curtis had a dark side, how has he kept it under wraps during over thirteen years of incarceration? Did he suddenly learn self-control?
The questions are endless. If I had take either the word of Curtis Flowers or one of the people the state is using to incriminate him, I’d go with Curtis in a heartbeat.
Do you know these people? How do you know they are weak? Maybe they were afraid to go to the police until Curtis took off for Texas.
It may have taken the state 9 months to find some witnesses, but it took the defense fourteen years to produce Kittery Jones, the first cousin of Flowers, in court. Perhaps these witnesses have an agenda of their own. Read the story above about the “Curtis effect” on women according to Michelle Milner. He even convinced one juror to perjure herself. She is in jail today. If Latarsha Blissett was home with all her sisters, why haven’t some of the rest of them come forward to discredit Clemmie?
Curtis committed a senseless act of violence in high school. You seem so convinced it was an accident. How thoroughly have you investigated this incident, or did you just “go with Curtis in a heartbeat”? I challenge you to contact the boy Curtis shot in high school or his parents and see if they tell you it was an accidental shooting. I can assure you they will not because I know them.
And if you “go with Curtis”, which story are you going with? He gave two statements to the police that contradicted one another.
You have tunnel vision- you only see what you want to see. You choose to believe relatives of the defendant who love him and want him to be innocent. At least be fair and seek out the other side before you label them weak or liars.
Sickofthis:
First, Kittery Jones testified at trial 2 back in 1999. Why he hasn’t been used by the defense more frequently I have no idea. Secondly, there is no evidence that Curtis asked anyone to lie their way onto the jury. The woman was an alternate. I recently watched several white jurors close to the families of the victims attempt to get onto the jury. This was also inappropriate, but understandable undert the circumstances. This is a very heated situation. I have spoken to three people who tell me that Clemmie has either confessed to them that she invented the incident or, in one case, expressed uncertainty about what she saw. All three have spoken to Clemmie within the last year. Curtis accidently shot a friend while playing with a gun in the 9th grade, a full decade before the Tardy murders. The incident was investigated and ruled an accident. Curtis accompanied the shooting victim back to school–there was no malicious intent whatsover–whatever the aggreived mother might say. That people continue to bring this up shows how little material they have to work with. I have investigated the incident quite thoroughly and have spoken to at least half a dozen people about it. All you need to know is that those who investigated at the time ruled it an accident. They may have had some sinister reason for reaching this conclusion, but I doubt it very much. I am aware that Curtis gave two different chronological accounts of his activities that morning, but his initial story has been corroborated. The different times given in the second story have a simple explanation–Curtis visited his sister on a daily basis and, three days after the event, he had trouble remembering which day was which. If he had been trying to help himself, he would have stuck with the first story. There is no logical reason for him to invent the second story. If he was inventing an alibi, story one was far superior. But he hadn’t invented a consistent cover story because he had nothing to hide. Memory is highly fallible and people often make errors of this sort.
Now, why do I think these people are weak? We have already discussed poor Clemmie Fleming. Mary Jeanette Fleming shouldn’t be used by the state because she is mentally unstable. During one trial, she had to be taken from the mental hospital in order to testify. Secondly, she sat on her alleged story for seven months even though everybody in town knew the police were pinning the crime on Curtis. He had already been arrested when she gave her statement to police. Even then, they came to her; she didn’t come to them. Katherine Snow is a weak and fearful person by her own admission. Besides, her explanation for why she kept the identity of the man she saw by Doyle’s car a secret is completely incredible. Doyle Simpson has had addiction issues for decades and lied to the police about where he got his gun and testifies with the demeanor of a frightened rabbit. Particia Hallmon’s own brother accused her of inventing her story so she could cash in on the reward money. Then he got out of jail and, by his own admission, grew tired of having his mother and sister on his back every day. So he flipped in the other direction and called Doug Evans so he could have a little peace. That is the definition of weak-minded behavior. Hallmon is a cartoon character. That anyone takes him seriously as a witness is amazing. Patricia’s friend across the street has testified that she saw Curtis wearing Fila tennis shoes from over 200 feet. I have placed myself in the position she said she was in; there is no possible way you could tell one pair of tennis shoes from another at that distance. Ms. Gholston clearly learned about Patricia and the reward money and wanted a piece of the action. Several other witnesses likely saw Curtis passing by at one time or another but, at the time they allegedly saw him, they had no reason to attach any significance to the sighting. They too, sat on the information until investigators came by talking up the $30,000 reward.
I am not primarily blaming the witnesses, however. Some of them may have convinced themselves that they are telling the truth. Confidence in false memory grows over time while confidence in verbatim memory fades over time. I blame the prosecution for building eye-witness testimony around a theory of the case for which they had no solid proof. They could have built a case on dozens of people using their chosen method. They had no way of knowing whether the people they took statements from were telling the truth as they remembered it, telling the police what they wanted to hear, or inventing stories with an eye on the reward money. Furthermore, investigators didn’t care. So long as these folks were saying the right things they accepted every word as gospel. Katherine Snow had to come back for interview after interview until she gave police the right name. Then the trips to the police station stopped.
No one knows what transpired between investigators like John Johnson and these hapless folk. That’s because intentionally flawed investigative procedures and incredibly poor record keeping protected the investigation from probing questions.
If you choose to place implicit trust in people like Mary Jeanette Fleming, Odell and Patricia Hallmon, Doyle Simpson and Clemmie Fleming, you are free to do so. But I don’t find any of these people credible under oath and will continue to say so.
Since Curtis did not alert the judge to his personal relationship with the female alternate juror, he was involved in the scheme to hang the jury.
If the people you are speaking to are either related to Curtis or friends of the family, I am sure you were told the shooting was accidental. The fact that no charges were ever brought should show that Curtis Flowers was treated more than fairly by the Winona authorities in this case.
Why is it so understandable to you that Curtis had trouble remembering details of his own activities three days after the event, but you find it sinister that witnesses who saw him walking down the street cannot remember exactly what color pants he was wearing? Who exactly corroborated the story Curtis Flowers told the police?
What other “dozens of people” would have used Doyle Simpson’s gun to murder these four innocent victims? Katherine Snow never said she was weak, only that she was afraid to reveal Curtis’ identity to the police because she did not want her family to be killed. I don’t think she was referring to the police killing her family, do you? You keep saying all these witnesses are lying to collect the reward money- do you have any evidence of this?
I do not find the defense witnesses credible under oath, but as you say, you are free to place implicit trust in people like Latarsha Blisset and Connie Moore. Maybe you should investigate their character a little more.
Good points.
Yes, Curtis should have informed his attorneys that he had a relationship with a juror who hadn’t divulged it.
Yes, Curtis was treated fairly by the authorities in the 9th grade as was the victim of the accident.
Yes, family members are inclined to embrace a version of the truth that places their loved one in the best possible light. That is a universal human characteristic. However, the version of events I received from Curtis and from several others comports with the official findings. There was little pressure on public officials in either direction and there is no reason to question their judgment.
What I find suspicious is that eye-witnesses invariably tell the same story without a shadow of variation. Moreover, they are more confident in the truth of the stories they tell every time they testify. The problems come when you compare the confident physical descriptions of one witness with physical descriptions given by the other witnesses. Curtis gave two versions of essentially the same story, one of which took place three hours later than the other. The events described were identical and the time between events was identical. If you ask Curtis, upon reflection, which story was accurate he will say he got it right, more or less, the first time. I say “more or less” because, like any sensible person, he was quite honest from the outset about his inability to give precise times. The eye-witnesses gave an initial statement and always remember is in exactlfy the same way. This is because they are given their original statement prior to taking the stand.
The discrepancies become apparent when eye-witnesses are asked questions that aren’t in the statement (like, how was Curtis dressed?). Then huge, irreconcilable gaps appear between one witness and the next. So, the testimony of each witness is internally consistent–suspiciously so; but there are radical inconsistencies from witness to witness. If no one could remember what Curtis was wearing, or if they all remembered vaguely similar apparel, there would be no cause for concern. But when one person remembers white shorts and a person who allegedly met Curtis moments later describes black pants, a white dress shirt and a dark sweater (in mid-July!) we’ve got a problem. Both witnesses may have seen Curtis passing by at some time; just not the same time.
The essential features of Latarsha Blissett’s testimony were corroborated by the officer who drove her to Greenwood. I see no reason not to believe her, but I wasn’t present at the interview so we are left with a he-said-she-said scenario. If John Johnson had recorded the entire episode from beginning to end we wouldn’t have that problem.
Here Alan goes again with his lying. Does it matter that she was an alternate, I dont think so . She didnt know she was going to be chosen as an alternate you idiot. The fact is she lied twice to the court under oath saying she didnt know Curtis Flowers. She talked to him over 60 times the past couple months before the trial and went to visit him at the jail, but you want everbody to believe that they didnt talk about her lying to get on there. What a fool you are if you believe all of what your telling everyone and you dont believe that. She was his GirlFriend Alan. You want to sit her and say you watched white jurors attempt to get on the jury because they were close to the victims family. That is completely another lie. You didnt like the fact that the whites your referring to tell the truth and be honest answering questions. You didnt want any whites on there. But you want to sit here and say John Johnson is a liar. Why didnt you tell him to his face you coward. Your much a man and Preacher talking about someone behind their back.
Alan, you aren’t looking too sounding to good. You better go back and think some more before you write anymore. You are disgusting and reading you comments makes me sick at my stomach. To think that someone as you, would defend criminals like you do, just to get money or publicity, has got to have something wrong with them or scared of the blacks. I don’t understand people like you. There is all kinds in this world and I hope there isn’t anymore like you in this world. This world is a in a bigger mess and people like you doesn’t help at all.
Sir, Would you care to tell your readers how much money was donated to JOF for you and your support people to follow the Flowers case ? And, this would never influence your view point would it?
Sure, $250. That’s it. Sorry to disappoint.
Bean, so you’re saying Curtis Flowers was telling the truth when he told 2 different stories and the eye witnesses were not telling the truth, because they were telling the same story every time at every trial and were confident? Come on now, who are you, a psychiatrist??? Doesn’t make sense to me. Sounds like the only two people not telling the truth are Curtis Flowers and Dr. Bean.
Well Im not the brighteset star on the planet Earth but I’m also not a fool too. You want everyone to believe thats all you got. You and your people spend 2 weeks in a motel out of your own pocket for 250.00 dollars. You are and idiot. But we do appreciate yalls revenue to the community.
Well, if that makes us idiots I guess we’re idiots. We also had people driving up from New Orleans and flying in from New Jersey and Boston who didn’t get a nickel of reimbursement either. I guess they are also nuts. But, like I say, this work doesn’t make sense from a financial point of view.
Alan