LATEST CASES OF INVESTIGATION
John Merritt : Murder mystery currently
under investigation
In November
2005 Bob Cracknell received an email from Australia, from one Isabel Wilde,
asking for his help in establishing a man's innocence of murder - adding
that the man was currently incarcerated in prison in America. Cracknell
initially agreed to look at any facts she could provide, but was at that
point hesitant to become involved. On asking her for more information
he was staggered to receive from Australia a package containing in excess
of 800 pages of transcript.
It all began
when the prisoner in question, John Merritt, wrote a letter to the 'Psychic
News', which was a UK newspaper dealing with the Spiritualist scene, and
would appear to be an odd choice. Isabel Wilde read the article and was
immediately compelled to communicate with the man in prison. That decision
was to occupy her life for many years to follow and also prompted her
to obtain from America the full transcripts of the trial and court depositions
of the witnesses and police. She then set about combing through all the
material and making copious notes - where obvious contradictions and even
lies were established. Even more remarkable was the fact that Isabel (or
'Molly Marples' as she is affectionately known) is in her 91st year. But
she has shown a keen razor-sharp, analytical and investigative mind for
which many professional investigators would give their eyeteeth!
Cracknell's
initial response was a reluctance to get too deeply involved, and he pointed
out in his first communication to her - prior to receipt of the paperwork
- that although John Merritt may be innocent of murder he was certainly
not innocent in terms of being a criminal. This proved to be correct.
The facts
are that on 1st or 2nd of March 1982 one Darrel Davis, an ambulance driver
and a large, heavily built man was found lying face down on the floor
of his house, his wrists tied behind his back by a leather belt. He had
been shot through the back of his head. It is important to note there
were no other restraints on any other part of the body and no visible
signs of struggle in the cluttered room. The body was found lying next
to a table covered with crockery and cutlery, and his feet were close
to one of the table's legs.
Due to Davis not attending his place of work his wife had been concerned
and had asked - via a telephone call to two men working close to their
house if they would check to see if he was there. They entered the house
and saw the body lying on the floor. One man claimed he thought he saw
signs of breathing and released the belt that secured the victim's hands.
Realising he was mistaken he then telephoned the police. (It is important
to note that as a result of the men's actions in disturbing the body the
crime scene was contaminated.)
This is only a brief summation and suffice it to say, the crime went unsolved.
No suspects at that time were in the frame.
In 1984/5
a prisoner awaiting trial wrote to the police stating that he could finger
the murderer of Darrel Davis, but that he wanted to cut a deal - adding
that he could get the State Prosecution a result and that he knew his
memory will improve if he got help in his current situation. This man,
along with a second prisoner being held in another jail had been arrested
(as had John Merritt) on suspicion of armed burglary. None of the three
prisoners was incarcerated together at the same time. A police officer,
one Lt. Neal Nydam, then travelled to the prison and interviewed the man
who wrote the letter. Again, the prisoner insisted upon being given a
guaranteed deal as he was facing up to thirty years in prison for a burglary
in which he had been involved. An obvious deal was cut between this police
officer and said prisoner, together with one of the other men and John
Terhune, who was the assistant attorney for Lake City, Florida. The two
prisoners, along with John Merritt, had by now been charged with armed
robbery. John Merritt admitted his involvement in this and subsequently
stood trial. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. One of the informants
of the murder received a prison sentence of 364 days and 16 years' probation.
The 10 months that he actually served were spent as a trusty, working
for one Lieutenant Neal Nyham (would you believe, in his office) after
which Lt. Nyham obtained for him a job. The other prisoner was committed
to a mental asylum for a period of time. Virtually immediately after this
John Merritt was put on trial for the murder of Darrel Davis and that
trial began on 3rd June 1986.
Based upon
the conflicting evidence given by the two other criminals, with the State
offering no forensic evidence even though John Merritt had voluntarily
given his fingerprints and body hair and had denied throughout his innocence
of the crime, it is interesting to note that at the murder scene a single
blond hair was found and entered as potential evidence. John Merritt did
not have blond hair, and as stated had voluntarily given samples of his
own hair. What happened to this evidence? Why wasn't it presented? He
was found guilty of first-degree murder, which in Florida carries the
statutory death penalty. A subsequent appeal against this, which was held
in December 1989, gave a verdict of 'life imprisonment'.
John Merritt has completed his first sentence, ironically obtaining a
period of time for remission. He now sits in a cell, convicted on evidence
that was nothing more than a tissue of lies, the evidence both unfounded
and uncorroborated.
If ever there was a case of a true miscarriage of justice this is it.
Bob Cracknell
has totally committed himself to obtaining Merritt's release. Throughout
his forty years' involvement in chasing criminals and plausible conmen
all over the world, Cracknell is no easy target and is used to the wiles
and lies of criminals. He is even on record as having called a man a liar
when the police and English media were convinced the man was telling the
truth. Cracknell forced the man to recant, and as a result the police
were able to close the case based on his directives. This case, known
as 'the Southern Organs fraud', has recently been turned into a television
documentary and is due to be screened in UK, Canada and the States in
the summer of 2006.
He also states, unequivocally, 'JOHN MERRITT DID NOT MURDER DARREL DAVIS
AND IS THE VICTIM OF A CORRUPT AND CONTRIVED TRIAL!'
You are urged
to give your support.
To date, Cracknell has approached the Florida Innocence Project, to obtain
DNA testing, which was not conducted during the investigation. As stated,
no forensic evidence was offered during the trial. They could not even
identify the weapon used in the murder, as belonging to Merritt and it
is hoped that the Florida Innocence Project will come back with a positive
response to Cracknell's application. Cracknell wishes to thank publicly
his good friend, Ed Olshaker, respected American journalist and author
of 'Witnesses to the Unsolved' (please refer to 'products' on this website),
for his support and efforts in initially contacting the Florida Innocence
Project.
This story
has many twists and turns, and you are urged not to look for inaccuracies
as this is but a brief summation. Any serious investigator/journalist
reading the transcript of the trial and the depositions would immediately
see the need for the whole matter to be brought to public scrutiny. One
particularly strange twist was the fact that John Merritt chose the 'Psychic
News' newspaper to ask for help, for two weeks beforehand this same newspaper
had carried a front page story featuring Bob Cracknell - which prompted
Mollie to write to him. Since that time Cracknell has communicated with
John Merritt on several occasions, and now understands why he approached
that particular publication. During the nineteen or so years he has been
incarcerated for the crime he confessed to committing he spent much time
in isolation and solitude - and as a result he has established and recognised
his own psychic awareness. Can you imagine how that awareness must tear
him apart now, as he cries out for justice?
You are all
urged to write to John Merritt and give him comfort and hope. His address
is as under:
John Merritt 058704 63-104U
Dade Correctional Institution
19000 S.W. 377th St., # 300
Florida City, Florida 33034. U.S.A.
Finally,
let us not forget one gutsy lady, namely Isabel (or as I affectionally
call her Miss Molly Marples) Wilde, who over the years has dug deep into
her only source of income, her pension, to pay all the fees which would
secure these official documents, even employing a private investigator
in Florida and paying him $1,000 in advance to track down witnesses -
the most important one being a sheriff who, at the time, the police claimed
had interviewed Merritt (and naming the prison in which he had been interviewed).
He was in fact in the jail of this particular sheriff on another minor
charge, establishing yet another lie on the part of the police! Mollie
had to wait in excess of eighteen months for the investigator's report,
which clearly proved to be totally ineffectual and a complete waste of
time. She also communicated with the assistant State Attorney, one John
Terhune, and paid him to release his public papers. Even today she continues
to write to John Merritt, sending him small amounts of pocket money to
pay for his postage and any other expenses he may have. Such is her dedication
and passion.
Bob Cracknell
is now in the process of making his own personal arrangements to travel
to the States and will be assisted by his son, Nathan, whose website is
www.potentialtechnology.com
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