Dear ________________:

James White, a convicted drug dealer, child molester and con man pointed a finger at Betty Wilson and her twin sister Peggy Lowe, saying they had hired him to kill Betty's husband, Dr. Jack Wilson, a prominent ophthalmologist in Huntsville, Alabama. Peggy Lowe was acquitted, while Betty Wilson was convicted and received life without the possibility of parole.

There was no physical evidence introduced in Betty's trial. She was convicted because 1993 was an election year and the DA needed an important case. The fact that Betty had an affair with a black man was the deciding factor the jury needed.

I have been working for the release of Betty for four years now. An innocent woman has been in prison for six years for a crime she did not commit. Sometimes a person gets "caught up" in the system and slips through the cracks. That is exactly what happened to Betty. Poor legal representation, politics, and corruption have kept this woman locked away all these years. We have been very fortunate to have "Inside Edition", the "Medical Detectives" and the "Leeza Show" to do features about Betty, but to no avail.

James White even recanted his whole story on the "Inside Edition" but none will listen. Enclosed is a copy of James White's complete recantation in his own hand writing, where he admits to lying and never even meeting Betty Wilson.

In August on my way back from Florida I was allowed a special visit with Betty. She is the most beautiful, articulate person I have ever met. To see this innocent woman locked away like an animal simply breaks my heart. Betty told me what a good marriage she and Jack had and how she missed him. She has been in jail and prison since he was killed and slowly dies each year. Being sentenced to life in prison with no change of parole whether the person is innocent or guilty has to be the ultimate in cruel punishment. Betty has said her only chance for freedom is a public outcry. Can you please help her?

Yours truly,


Bobbie Greer

Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles
500 Monroe Street
P. O . Box 302405
Montgomery, AL 36160-2405

Most people in prison deserve to be there but once in a while an innocent person 'slips through the cracks' because of an incompetent lawyer and/or corrupt legal system. Jim Schutze wrote a book, By Two and Two: The Shocking True Story of Twin Sisters Torn Apart by Lies, Injustice, and Murder (Avon Books, 1995), which is a true story about Betty Wilson and Peggy Lowe, twin sisters, who were arrested and tried for supposedly hiring James White to kill Betty Wilson's husband, Jack Wilson, a prominent, well-liked, wealthy doctor. Peggy Lowe, the saint, was acquitted and four years ago Betty Wilson, the sinner, was sent to Wetumpka State Prison for life with no chance of parole. Even if the woman were guilty, the punishment does not fit the crime. James White, the primary witness and convicted killer in this case, a known alcoholic, drug addict, and child molester, will be coming up for parole in 1998.

A friend of mine, who has been in close communication with the twin sisters and has corresponded with the convicted killer, has access to an original handwritten letter form James White, dated October 28, 1996, in which he writes, "...I have put some thought in trying to write my on book with all the facts and truth about the case. But then I have been told that if I do that I will get buried in the Alabama system. Because there is alot of important people involed in what happened in my case. So you could say that I am kind of stuck in a 'catch 22' situation. There was a lot of things done to me that was illegal. 1. Question for over 7 hours under the influence of alcohol and drugs. 2. Denied prescribed medication and still questioned in a confussed state. This is just two of the many things done wrongly to me in the Madison County jail. But if you can not prove anything, and I have no connection in the community. Or if you are a poor middle class person such as me, with no money to hire the good lawyers ... and being threaten with the death chair you kind of go along with what you are being told.... Well, I've got to go, because I have already said too much...."

Sometime in January of this year, a former inmate of James White was released from prison and went to Betty's prison [CORRECTION - inmate telephoned her prison] but was not allowed to talk with her. Through the grapevine Betty found out that he said he had information that would blow this case wide open. Dr. Wilson's adopted son from his former marriage, Perry Wilson, was physically violent to his adopted father, used drugs, and was disinherited. Could the latter have been motive enough to kill or hire someone to kill?

Betty Wilson was convicted on circumstantial evidence and the word of an alcoholic, child-molesting, drug addict. Now she and her three sons may lose everything because Dr. Wilson's former wife and three sons, including Perry Wilson, are contesting the doctor's will and will most probably acquire his entire estate.

The author ( By Two and Two, Jim Schutze), who attended the trial, many people who have read his book, and many who were directly involved believe Betty Wilson is innocent and that her only chance to get out of prison is through a pardon.

I respectfully request that the above information not only be considered but be investigated.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely yours,

Barbara Lunsford

Re: Betty Woods Wilson vs State of Alabama

Dear Mr Siegelman:

I am writing to you initially, to give you the opportunity to correct what must be one of the worse cases of injustice and a mistrial in the history of America. The President of the United States has often told the world that America is, "the land of the brave", "the land of the free", "the land of democracy", "the land of justice and honour", yet these qualities are absent in the State of Alabama, especially justice and natural justice. The State of Alabama appears to have a corrupt legal system, police force and a legislature that is prepared to serve the politicians above the citizen whenever it is required. Please let me explain in brief.

I have to say at the outset, that should your response be in the negative then I shall communicate with the President of the United States and the First Lady immediately, to see if justice and democracy can be done on behalf of a Mrs. Betty Wilson, a citizen of Alabama.

Eight years ago, a Dr. Jack Wilson was murdered in Alabama. A deceitful drug taking two-time looser with a criminal record, by the name of James White, was arrested for the murder. In order to get a lighter sentence, James White incriminated twin sisters, Betty Wilson, wife of the deceased, and Peggy Lowe, sister-in-law to the deceased, saying both sisters had offered him $5,000 to kill Dr. Wilson.

Betty Wilson was the first to be tried. It took the jury 11 hours to decide whether she was guilty. She was given a life sentence, without parole. There was not a shred of evidence to substantiate this conviction. Peggy Lowe was tired nine months later, and it took the jury only 1 hour to decide she was innocent. There was not a shred of evidence in her case either, yet she was set free and her sister imprisoned for life. Does that make sense to you?

PLEASE CONSIDER: 1 murder, 2 sisters, 2 trials, same evidence, 2 DIFFERENT VERDICTS – 1 in jail – 1 free

This brief outline alone demonstrates both sisters were innocent. How can one be in jail and one be walking the streets of Alabama if both were tried on the same evidence? One guilty -one innocent-SAME EVIDENCE! One does not have to be a brain surgeon to know that a miscarriage of justice has taken place.

My investigation has shown there was not a shred of evidence presented at the trial to convict Mrs. Wilson. She was incarcerated in the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Woman, purely on political convenience, and expediency. Then there was the illegal and unprofessional conduct of the Alabama Pathology Department, not to mention the incompetence of the Alabama Police Department ineptitude. On these factors alone Mrs. Wilson was convicted, simply because it happened to be election year and a scapegoat had to be found and found quickly, innocent or not, it did not matter. After all, Dr. Wilson was a wealthy man of note in his community and the State needed to be seen doing something, even if it was the illegal incarceration of his widow Betty.

To escape the Electric Chair, James White simply did a deal with the State prosecutor incriminating Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Lowe, but his testimony would be inadmissible in any other decent democratic country, because he is an unreliable witness. James White stated under oath and in a public documentary that just before the murder of Dr. White he had been, "Drinking, popping pills and taking dope," and while in Vietnam with the US Army he shot at some of his own men and stabbed an officer. The word of this unreliable man was accepted above that of two decent citizens. James White who contributed nothing to American society, a man whose life has been nothing but a mess. This man who had lied to the police, and lied to the court while under oath, lied to the media proved his word was unreliable and his testimony totally unreliable and legally inadmissible.

While under oath, James White, told the court that after the murder, Mrs. Wilson drove him to his pickup. The Alabama Police Forensic Department examined Mrs. Wilson’s car and confirmed that it found absolutely no trace at all of White ever having been in her car at all. White had committed perjury and yet neither the judge, the State prosecutor, the defence counsel, nor the jury picked this up. James White was and is a liar who set up two innocent women.

THE ILLEGALITY AND FAILURE OF
THE ALABAMA PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Secondly, how the Alabama Pathology Department handled this high profiled case can only be described as an outrageous shambles. It is a requirement within constitutional law that the on-call medical examiner visits the scene of a suspected high profile homicide. Yet the medical examiner, Dr. Embry failed in his duty to the visit the scene of the murder. VITAL INFORMATION WAS LOST BECAUSE OF THIS MAN.

Thirdly, if Dr. Embry had visited the scene of the murder he would have concluded like me and other scientists that Dr. Jack Wilson had not been murdered on the landing of his home. The evidence of this is clearly seen from the footage of the video taken by the Alabama Police Department. There is virtually no blood splatter anywhere on the walls, yet universal forensic science has established that if a human being is severely beaten that blood travels in certain ways. We can even tell from which direction the person has been beaten. It is obvious that the body of Dr. Wilson had been turned 360 degrees to accommodate James White’s testimony. James White has said under oath that he came out of the bedroom, struggled with Dr. Wilson, hit Dr. Wilson who then released White, who in turn ran away.

Fourthly, if Dr. Embry had performed his legal duty and visited the scene of the crime, he would have seen that the location of the body was contrived and the position of the body was contrived. Importantly, he would have noticed the absence of the normal nine pints of blood. There was little blood in and around the area of the body.

Fifthly, Dr. Embry even failed to hand over the so-called murder weapon until three days before Betty Wilson’s trial. If that is not a dereliction of duty and unprofessional conduct, and illegal, then what is? The baseball bat, the so-called murder weapon was devoid of hair, skin or bodily tissue of any description. It was never examined for any of these factors. It could have never been the instrument that killed Dr. Jack Wilson. Other scientists, such as, Dr. Kris Sperry, Deputy Pathologist for Alabama, and I asserts it could not be the instrument of death. Forensic science would also establish that a baseball bat crushes the skull, but Jack Wilson’s skull was not crushed.

JAMES WHITE’S PSYCHIATRIC REPORT
WITHELD AT BETTY WILSON’S TRIAL

Sixthly, James White’s complete psychiatric report was never handed over to the defence counsel at Betty Wilson’s trial, yet this psychiatric report was handed over at the trial of Peggy Lowe who was set free?

BETTY WILSON’S RECENT APPEAL

Seventhly, Mrs. Wilson’s recent appeal to the U. S. Court of Appeals - 11th Circuit was apparently never reviewed by the judges and denied. That is how this case has been treated. "Rubber stamped justice" is the only term I can use. This is not American justice. This is appalling.

MANY IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA
KNOW BETTY WILSON IS INNOCENT

There are judges, lawyers, politicians, and forensic scientists in Alabama, whose names and addresses I have in my possession, know that Betty Wilson was illegally incarcerated. In fact, I have uncovered evidence that there are senior figures employed by the State of Alabama who report to the office of the Attorney General. These people could prove Mrs. Wilson’s innocence, but they will not testify against a colleague because that colleague also happens to work for the Government. There are men and women in Alabama know who the real murderer is. It is sad and appalling to think that there are those who represent the law who are prepared to sit back and let an innocent woman rot in jail.

Is this American justice? Is this what American democracy is all about? Is this what American men and women died for in so many wars? The question is, did they die for a free and just world, a world where men and women could live in a society where they could trust their legal system? By Alabama’s judicial standards, they died in vain. No, Sir, the brief outline of this case above, are the actions and conduct of dictators in Banana Republics, and I and the rest of the world find it outrageous.

As Governor of Alabama, I am appealing to your common decency and humanity, and all that is just, to use your legislative powers to have this case re-examined, and a pardon be granted to Mrs. Wilson. If you examine the facts of this case, you will conclude that Betty Wilson is innocent and worthy of a pardon. When you do examine the case, please remember this outline:

Therefore, on behalf of many, many decent people outside of the States who know about this case, I ask you to use your constitutional powers and set this innocent woman free. Should you require any further information, I would be more than happy to provide you with such.

Could you please treat this case with all urgency as the ?

I shall refrain from writing to the President and the First Lady until I hear from you.

WITHOUT PREJUDICE
Yours sincerely,

Dr. R. B. McCloud-Thompson
LL, BA, PGCE, MA, PhD, PhD

N.B. We in the UK have had our share of injustices, but I have to say that none of them were anything like the Wilson case. The Wilson case would never have reached a British or European court of justice because there was not even circumstantial evidence that could have been presented to any court, except in a "Banana Republic".