In 1991 life was really looking beautiful for me. I had a nice apartment, a nice car, money in the bank, and I was in love and engaged to be married to a young lady that I really loved very much and, on top of that, she was pregnant with her and my first child. I was very elated to say the least, I was in my prime of my life had just made 36 years old that February. Tracy my fianc�e would soon be 22 years old that June the 5th, she was also interring her third month of pregnancy too.May the 17th 1991 about 11 p.m., I was going to the store to get some dish washing soap and some cigarettes.

It was rainy that night that my entire life went into total chaos. I was arrested and told that I was being arrested for murder. I couldn't believe this was actually happening to me. I felt sick. But yet I was thinking this got to be a joke. I was taken down town and questioned by three different homicide detectives. I kept telling them that they had the wrong person. "I hadn't killed anyone", I told them over and over again. They stripped me naked and locked me up and I was charged with murder, I couldn't make bond cause they had a no bond on me.

I make several attempts to get in touch with Tracy but I couldn't reach her and I was very confused over that. Eventually I got an attorney, and he went out in my apartment to see Tracy. She wasn't there, but he found a letter that Tracy had written me. The letter told of three white police officers threatening her that if she stayed involved with me that they would make up enough false charges to put her in prison for at least 50 years. Those threats was because Tracy was white and I am black, she told of this in her letter to me. I have not seen Tracy since the night of my arrest, nor have I heard from her in any way, nor form either. I have no idea as to what happened to her and our child, I only hope that she and the baby is healthy and fine.

I stayed in jail for a year awaiting trial, and I just knew in my heart that when I did go to trial that the Jury would see that I was innocent. I set through this trial and heard lies after lies told on me. And there wasn't anything that I could do at all.

After the trial was over, I still felt in my heart that the Jury would realize that I was innocent. But the verdict was read and I felt like my life ended right than and there. We the Jury - they said - �find the defendant guilty of capital murder�.

I thought of suicide and I had been wrestling with that throughout my incarceration, and I still wrestle with that today. But I still cling to that little piece of hope that I will get a new trial and I will be found innocent. But not having the financial support and morale support, I know I am only lying to myself.