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Coerce Identification Leads to Wrongful Conviction: Kevin Keith Case
Kevin
Keith was convicted on
May 26, 1994
on three counts of Murder and three counts of attempted Murder in what
the police officials describe as a drug-related slaying. Kevin was
sentenced to death on each Murder charge.
Weeks
prior to the Murders Kevin was arrested along with several others
individuals in separate drug raids. All of theses were suspected drug
dealers including Kevin Keith & were out on bond with pending drug
charges against them during the time the Murders occurred. The states
theory of the case was that the shootings had occurred in retaliation
against the victim’s brother; Rundell Chatman; informing on Kevin and
several other individuals drug activities in the area.
The
Crime
On
the evening of
February 13, 1994
at approximately
9PM
, a masked gunman entered an Apartment at the Bucyrus Estates Apartment
Complex in
Bucyrus
,
Ohio
. Upon entering the apartment the masked gunman had brief conversation
with one of the occupants before opening fire and killing Marchell
Chatman, Marchae Chatman, Linda Chatman and critically wounding Quenton
& Quenita Reeves as well as Richard Warren whom was living with
Marchell Chatman weeks prior to the shootings.
Warren
was also a known drug dealer in the area.
According to Richard Warren after being shot he played dead and once the
gun man left
Warren
ran out of the apartment across a snow covered field towards Ike’s
Restaurant, yelling for help. Four or five more shots were fired, one
striking him in the buttocks and knocking him to the ground.
Warren
was able to get up and make it to the restaurant where he was aided by a
waitress. When asked by the
waitress who had shot him
Warren
stated he didn’t know who the man was because he had ski mask on.
Another
Bucyrus Estates resident Nancy Smathers heard several popping sounds at
9PM
as she looked out her front door, Smather’s claimed to see Black Man
run to the parking lot and get into car, as the car sped away it slid on
icy driveway and into snow bank leaving partial license plate
identification. When she was
asked by police if she could recognize the man again if she saw him;
Nancy Smather’s said NO.
Politics
Influence Arrest
The
community reacted to the intense news coverage with the demands the
gunman be caught and brought to justice. It wasn’t two days after the
murders that former, then President Bill Clinton spoke in
Columbus
,
Ohio
and made reference to the murders in a speech to support his “Tough
Smart” Crime fight bill, local law enforcement were eager to make
arrest.
On February 15, 1994 two days after the murders Kevin Keith was watching
television at his home in Crestline, Ohio several miles from the crime
scene when S.W.A.T team kicked in his door, guns drawn and pointed
directly at Kevin confirming the target(Kevin) was in their sight. Kevin
startled immediately lies on floor where the S.W.A.T team members begin
assaulting him. Kevin yells from his beating & assures them that
there are no drugs in his home as he was under the impression that the
police were searching for drugs. Kevin Keith was unaware at the time,
but would soon realize that a drug case would be the least of his
worries.
Upon
arriving at
Bucyrus
County
jail and seeing the growing crowd of spectators and media personnel,
cameras along with dozen of police officials Kevin realized that this
was bigger than a drug case. Within an hour Kevin went from being at
home watching TV with girlfriend to standing before judge setting his
bond at 1 Million dollars and reading off the charges for three counts
of Murder & there counts of attempted Murder. Kevin would profess
his innocence, but such protest was ignored.
Kevin
Keith's Alibi
Kevin’s
Aunt Gracie Keith, who is also the aunt of one of the victim’s child,
arrived at the county jail shortly after Kevin’s arrest. She gave
brief statement to the media stating that Kevin was with her at
9PM
at her home in
Crestline
,
Ohio
several miles from the crime scene the night of the Murders. Gracie
Keith would eventually testify in court and provide Kevin with alibi.
The Case against Kevin Keith Is Filled with Inconsistencies
Despite
Richard Warren & Nancy Smather’s prior statements that they
couldn’t identify the gunman the police diligently & relentlessly
convinced them to identify Kevin Keith as the gunman.
The Bucyrus Chief of Police Joe Beran feed the media fabricated evidence
claiming that fibers, finger prints found at the crime scene match that
of Kevin’s. And that all three of the surviving victims identified
Kevin Keith as the gunman. However; during the course of the trail
Sheryl Mahon, Latent Finger Print Examiner for the Ohio Bureau of
Criminal Identification testified
that “none of the finger prints
taken from the scene or suspected get-away car matched Kevin’s”.
Mahan testified that “there was
no blood on any of Kevin Keith’s clothes including clothing taken from
his home”.
Michelle Yezzo, Forensic Scientist testified that “Foot
impressions left at the scene by the suspect didn’t match any of the
foot wear owned by Kevin”. As well Yezzo testified that “fibers collected from the crime scene didn’t match at Kevin’s
home or clothing; nor did fibers taken from suspected get away car”.
Two
out of the three surviving victims Quentina & Quenton Reeves
didn’t identify Kevin as the gunman. Quentina claimed Bruce
did the shootings. She was shown the photo line up, as to Kevin’s
photo she said he wasn’t the guy she knows as Bruce who had shooter
and the others. (In other words, Quentina specifically stated Kevin
Keith wasn’t the shooter…
Exhibit
A/News Article)
Usual
Suspects
Investigators
made plaster impression of the identification in the snow bank made by
the suspects get away car to reveal partial license plate “043”. The
identification matched several cars in the Bucyrus area including car
seized from Melonie Davison shortly after she visited Kevin in jail. It
also matched a license plate registered to Rodney Melton, a Pharmacy
burglary suspect & convicted murderer. Rodney Melton’s brother Bruce
Melton was also a suspect in a state wide pharmacy burglary ring at
the time. Kevin’s trail attorney suggested that this is the
“Bruce”; Quentina Reeves said shot her and the others. Bruce being a
friend of the girl’s father, Demetrius Reeves.
Demetrius Reeves & both Rodney and Bruce Melton were under a 99
count indictment and arrested on those charges shortly after Kevin’s
arrest. They would all plead guilty in connection with the Pharmacy
Burglary ring.
Police Captain Michael Corwin was aware of all three men drug activities
as well knew of Rodney Melton’s previous murder conviction and was
suspect in another unsolved homicide.
Captain Corwin admitted that he never showed Quetina Reeves or any of
the other surviving victims a photo of Bruce or Rodney Melton. There
were numerous attempts made by family members of Rodney & Bruce to
consult with someone about their belief that both brothers were involved
in the murders. And that the Melton’s own family members were fearful
of them. (Exhibit
B/Court Transcript).
Approximately 2 ½ hours after the murders occurred, Kevin traveled to
Bucyrus, Ohio to pick up his girlfriend up from the General Electric
plant where she worked. It was then that Kevin learned about the murders
from her. His girlfriend learned of the murders from several General
Electric employees who had visited the crime scene before coming to
work.
Farnella Graham, a resident who lived across the street from the General
Electric plant, found a single 9mm casing on her front sidewalk that
would match casing found at the crime scene.
Larry Harden, Senior Special Agent for the B.C.I office who had
previously worked with the Bucyrus police on several occasions,
testified that “his initial report show that there were 18 shell
casings found, but there were only 16 found”
Demetrious Reeves, the father of Quentina Reeves a surviving victim,
also worked at the General Electric plant & when asked about the
shell casing he pleaded the 5th amendment. None of the other
plant employees who left the crime scene & came directly to work
were questioned about the probability that one of them could have
transferred the shell casing. The gun used in the murders has NEVER
BEEN FOUND. Approximately 2 weeks before Kevin’s trail, there was
another shooting which involved the Chatman family, Herbert Chatman’s
home in
Bucyrus
,
Ohio
had been shot up while he & other family members were asleep.
The shooting occurred on 4/17/94, the police said that bullets from that
shooting had been sent to the B.C.I in London, Ohio & those bullets
did appear to be 9 millimeter, as were the ones in the February
killings. (See
Exhibit C)
Detectives would later admit that the bullets from the send shooting
were sent to the B.C.I Lab on
4/28/94
. WHY? If the bullets appeared to be 9 millimeter, as were the ones used
in the February murders, why would the police wait 11 days after the
shooting occurred before sending the bullets to the lab for comparison?
(See
Exhibit D)
Where were the bullets being held for those 11 days that initially
appeared to be 9 millimeter, as were the ones used in the earlier
murders? Eventually the bullets from the second Chatman shooting
(4/17/94) that the detectives claimed initially appeared to be 9
millimeter were “Supposedly” the same bullets submitted to the lab
came back as being .38/.357 caliber.
One would have to question were the bullets collected on
4/17/94
from the second Chatman shooting were the same one’s submitted to the
B.C.I Lab for analysis 11 days after the shooting occurred?
The prosecution’s claimed that Kevin Keith’s motive to commit the
murders was a result of a Chatman family member informing of drug
activities.
2 ½ weeks after Kevin was convicted, the informant’s Uncle Herbert
Chatman kidnapped a female drug informant from Bucyrus, Ohio and was
eventually indicted on 9 counts including intimidation of Police
Informant (See
Exhibit E)
The murders took place at an apartment complex. There were several
witnesses who initially told new reporters and police that the gunman
had a ski mask on his face. But police Chief Joe Geran, who didn’t
witness the shooting, in his diligence to make arrest and get a
conviction, said that the police didn’t feel a mask was used.
This is just one of many illustrations of how the Bucyrus police chose
to dictate what witnesses had witnessed.
When
witnesses did come forward disagreeing with the police that Kevin
wasn’t the shooter they were eventually badgered & convinced to
keep silent. (See
Exhibit F)
Kevin Keith Jury Contaminated
Kevin
had an attorney who wasn’t certified to try a capitol cases, a biased
& inept Judge and contaminated jury. Kevin Keith’s attorney failed
to excuse a juror who reported receiving a threatening phone call,
another juror caught lying about discussing the case outside of the
courtroom. A third juror who reported receiving collect phone calls from
prison and fourth juror being seen driven to bank by deputy during
sequestered deliberations without judges knowledge; and lastly a juror
who admitted that they had “Baby Sat” for the arresting and leading
detectives in the case.
The police department & prosecutor’s portrayal of Kevin Keith as
being a big time level drug dealer wasn’t the case. On the other hand
Rodney & Bruce Melton along with Demetrius Reeves were apart of one
of the Nation’s biggest pharmacy burglary rings and under a 99 count
indictment.
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