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The story of William David Riley
Trolling through the internet one evening I came across an ad asking for ‘someone prepared to write to a lonely man on death row’. My first reaction was to hurry past, which I did. I was telling myself that ‘you would write and build up some sort of relationship and then one day it would all abruptly stop. And you would know the reason why. And you wouldn’t sleep for days’. Then a little voice somewhere inside kept saying, “If you feel like that how do you think the man is feeling?” The little voice wouldn’t leave me alone and eventually I retraced my steps to the site. The ad was placed by a lady who I assumed to be a social worker or some such. I sent off an e-mail and was very surprised when I received a reply from the mother of the prisoner. She turned out to be a splendid lady, totally committed to her son and unshakably convinced of his innocence. We exchanged two or three e-mails and then I sent off my first letter to the prison. Ordinary post, no e-mail allowed in the prison. I stayed in touch daily with his mother and felt drawn to this lady who had dedicated her life to trying to save her son. I said to her “I would like to stand with you in your struggle, however long it takes, whatever the pain, whatever the outcome.” At this stage I had no opinion of my own of the innocence or guilt of her son, and strangely it didn’t seem to matter. At approximately 10-45 am on August 16th 2000, a fire broke out in a trailer at Pine Valley Mobile Home Park. The trailer was rented by Bill who lived there with his girlfriend, and his three children, Ashley aged 6, William aged 5 and Samantha aged 3. Bill’s friend was also living there and sleeping on a couch. All three adults escaped the fire. All three children died. Neighbours reported that during the fire Bill seemed dry, unemotional and cold. In reality he was in shock, traumatised and for a bit was incapable of reacting. Not thinking logically and in a frenzy he began banging on the trailer walls and yelling to his children. His car was parked close to the trailer and fearful that it would explode and add to the dangers he moved it away. He threw a piece of timber through one of the windows. All this was irrational, but Bill was not in a rational frame of mind. You may very well think that given similar circumstances you would have reacted differently but in the grip of shock the mind can freeze. There are reports that neighbours heard arguments prior to the fire between Bill and his girl friend and this is not an issue. Bill was having serious financial hardship and with the girl friend not helping to economise, it led to disagreements. The alleged threats to kill the children have to take into account the circumstances in which they were made, the tone of voice etc. Saying that he would see them dead before he would let DFACS (Dept. of Family and Children Services) take them can be construed not so much as a threat to kill them, but an indication of how much he cared for them. The expressed intention to burn the trailer rather than face eviction, even if taken seriously, does not imply that he would burn his children also. In truth the statement was a throw away remark not intended to mean anything other than he would resist the attempt to evict him. Still in shock he is questioned by the police who tell him they have hard evidence of arson and if he will confess they will help him. Eventually he breaks down and makes a false statement. It is the false statement that ensures his conviction. During this time he is accorded neither the customary phone call nor is he provided with legal assistance. He is put on trial and it takes the jury forty-two minutes to convict him. He is sentenced to death by lethal injection and is currently on Death Row in a Georgia State prison. He has had one appeal denied and is allowed a further ten appeals. It can be noted that the Fire Marshal found no evidence of arson and I understand that a report to that effect is in existence. ThereThere are a number of public interest issues at stake here. Bill is requesting any legal assistance he can receive, and also seeking people from all over to write to him to keep his mind busy and off the daily routine of sitting around thinking about being on death row. Please write to Bill and let him know that there are people out there who have a heart and care. Just because Bill is on death row doesn't make him any less a human being. Has anyone ever thought to change places for just one day to see how they would feel. Thank you..
Brian Bowler. William Riley G-
House Contact: Virginia Davis (Bill's Mother) davi9369@bellsouth.net
Please sign this petition on behalf of William David Riley
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