ProgrammedToChill

Bonus Episode 50 - Weird Scenes in Waco pt. 6: Careless Convictions, feat. George from CAVDEF (Patreon)

Published:

2023-03-21 22:44:19

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The sixth episode in conversation with George of CAVDEF discussing Henry Lee Lucas. In this episode, we cover how the Lake Waco murder convictions became highly controversial soon after the trials ended. We continue to scrutinize the record of DA's investigator Truman Simons, as well as Dallas journalist Carlton Stowers (a longtime friend of Hugh Aynesworth) whose book Careless Whispers encapsulates the official narrative in the Lake Waco murders.

George lays out the brutal murder of Juanita White, the mother of Lake Waco defendant David Spence. White, who was investigating what she believed to be the wrongful conviction of her son, obtained evidence undermining Spence's conviction just days before she was killed. Truman Simons promptly took control of the investigation and, through the same tactics used to send her son to death row, allegedly identified the perpetrators. We examine those convictions, which returns us to the weird world of jailhouse snitches and criminal informants as well as sus odontology.

We cover the appeals process for Spence, which turned up the previously-buried drug angle as well as suspect behavior by Lake Waco victim Kenneth Franks' father. This leads us into a discussion of fellow defendant Muneer Deeb, whose conviction was actually overturned in the early 90s. Spence did not share the same luck as Deeb (nor Henry Lee Lucas, for that matter), and was executed in 1997. George then discusses the DNA exoneration efforts on behalf of the last surviving defendant Anthony Melendez, which were stalled by a California DNA lab's anomalous behavior.

What begins to become clear is the weakness of the state's case against David Spence, suggesting at a minimum that the conviction should have been overturned. To wrap up, we talk through likely scenarios for what actually happened with the Lake Waco murders, inasmuch as anyone can have a solid theory. George compares the Lake Waco murders with the West Memphis Three case, and I attempt to raise the possibility of a cybernetic approach to understanding regional parapolitics.

George's Notes:

When considering the alleged motive for Truman Simons' actions in the Juanita White case, and the parallels of his tactics there to his tactics in the Lake Waco case, one might be inclined to speculate whether Simons had an "informant" relationship with Tab Harper as well
Paul L. Kirk, who started UC Berkeley's criminology program, was incidentally part of the Manhattan Project
L.G. Hollingsworth's older male patron and alibi witness Richard Simpson was a building inspector who worked for the city of West Memphis
My speculation about the problematic nature of Dr. Jim Jolliff is validated by some more recent findings. He began a years-long sexual relationship with his patient, causing damage to her mental and emotional health according to the examiners board. This patient happened to have been a teacher at, of all places, the Methodist Home. See this CAVDEF section for sources and more info.

George's Links:

https://twitter.com/CAVDEF_George

http://cavdef.org/w/index.php?title=Main_Page

http://blog.cavdef.org/

series art by Dakota

Sources:

Texas Monthly article on the Lake Waco murders

David Spence appeal filings

Anthony Melendez clemency petition

Police reports and trial testimony in the Lake Waco murders

CAVDEF section on the Lake Waco murders

Testimony of Judge Walter Smith at the Belo trial