Retired F.B.I. Agents Join Cause of 4 Sailors

[BlueJessamine]

Source: New York Times

RICHMOND, Va. — F.B.I. agents rarely comment on criminal convictions. It is even more uncommon for them to argue that someone has been wrongly convicted.

But on Monday, 30 former agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation took up the cause of four sailors, known as the Norfolk Four, who were convicted in a 1997 rape and murder.

Arguing that DNA and forensic evidence points to a prison inmate who has confessed as the sole perpetrator of the crimes, they called on Gov. Tim Kaine to pardon the sailors.

“After careful review of the evidence we have arrived at one unequivocal conclusion: The Norfolk Four are innocent,” said Jay Cochran, a former assistant director of the F.B.I. and former special agent who served at the bureau for 27 years. “We believe a tragic mistake has occurred in the case of these four Navy men, and we are calling on Governor Kaine to grant them immediate pardons.”

The former agents join a long list of unusual supporters, including four former Virginia attorneys general; 12 former state and federal judges and prosecutors; and a past president of the Virginia Bar Association, who have called for the men to be pardoned.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/us/11norfolk.html?ref=us

[Suich]

1. This seems open and shut to me.

It will be interesting to see how it turns out. Will the Norfolk Four just be released or will they be 100% exonerated?

:shrug:

[alfredo]

2. Here's their page

http://www.norfolkfour.com/

[Suich]

3. Thanks!

:)

[alfredo]

4. Welcomed