Autobiography
Who KilledMiss Che Che?
An Autobiography
Episode 47:Testimonies
Since so many people were interested inmy work, the prison wanted to supply me with the materials, giveme points for doing the cards for the inmates, then deduct feesfor the cards and materials from their savings. Points meant thatI would be paid to produce the cards, 20 cents a point, 10 pointsa day. Six days a week I worked in my cell, sometimes seven daysa week if I wanted to. I enjoyed doing this and was improving.
At first I made only cards, then I startedto do posters with watercolor markers and pencil portraits. Imade a list of what I needed: a drawing pad size 18 x 12; watercolormarkers set of 24; paper glue to make envelopes for cards; leadpencils; ruler; rubber; and art books with instructions.
I went to work producing cards and posterswith three-dimensional letterings on them. I kept a reminder pad,as I called it, with names of inmates and cards to be produced.I also kept a daily diary which is why I can remember all of thedetails of my life. Sometimes I used my own poems in the cardsand sometimes people would send a poem of their own choice forme to write in the card because they liked my handwriting. Thathelped me during periods of long deep depression. Sometimes itgot so bad that I could not even bathe but I'm still living.
What hurt me and still does is the factthat those statements against me were given by my friends, peoplewho knew me and should have known that I was not a murderer. Thesewere people that I was good to, that I gave to and had grown upwith, who I had loved with all my being. I cannot hate these peoplebecause I could not blame them for forming the misconception thatI was guilty but you cannot imagine how much it hurt me to knowthat they thought I was a murderer. Once you are charged, youare guilty.
I got over the depression but it came backagain and again and still does today. I did not want to live sometimesbut I had to fight and be strong, be sane and humble. I want tosurvive, I told myself.
March 1989 came and passed. I was now 24years old, becoming a man in prison, wasting away in here. I knewthat I should have been home but there was nothing I could dobut suffer, waiting for my trial. I did not say very much to anyone,just stuck to myself. I had always been a quiet person and didnot get involved in other people's affairs though I heard andsaw many things.
Our P.I. came and crossed. The charges againstMike and Jeff were dropped to manslaughter and mine remained murder.We were committed to stand trial in Grand Court and remanded backto prison. Then Mike and Jeff, were granted bail while I remainedin prison.
I was still doing my artwork and waitingfor my trial date to appear in Grand Court. Mike and Jeff andtheir wives came to visit me but Mike and Jeff could not comeinside and had to stay by the fence. Paula and Carol brought mehand-ins and I wondered how they felt knowing that I was in prisoncharged with murder and they were free. Still, none of my oldfriends or family came to look for me. I had no one but them tohelp with what I needed. It seemed like they were the only peoplewho cared but they cared because they were worried that I knewthe truth.
My trial came first because I was chargedwith murder and finally commenced in August 1989. Below are thetestimonies of Sean Carby, John Brown, Duke Fox, Simon Coldwaterand Rob Benchly. I will not add or change anything on the testimonies;I will record them as they are on the court documents.
Immediately after hearing the testimoniesI regretted mentioning anything to these people about Mike andJeff because they changed and added to what I had said, twistingand turning my words around to fit the crime.
P.W. 17 Sean Carby (Sworn)
Testimony In Chief
"I know the defendant, Philip Ebanks,I recall the time Miss Che Che was killed, I heard about it inthe morning.
"I have lived in West Bay all my life.I know the last witness and also Simon Coldwater. I saw them thenight before up at my house. We were playing a domino game. Thedefendant I have known all my life and he has been to my housemany times. I saw him come to my house with Jeff Cussler whilethe domino game was going on. They left the house with Mike whowas playing the game. I didn't see any of them again after theyleft.
"It was the Sunday night that we wereplaying the game. It was Monday morning that I heard Miss CheChe was killed. I didn't see either the defendant or Jeff Cusslerthat day. The next time I saw the defendant was on Tuesday, 14December at my house. It was 11:30 p.m. to midnight I sawhim with an old revolver type gun with a silver muzzle and darkcoloured handle. He had the gun in his waist and I asked him wherehe got it. He said it was Miss Che Che's gun. It was stuck inhis waist and his shirt was over it. He took it in his hand andshowed it to me.
"I was standing in my yard in the backof my house. I could see by the light of a big electric lightI had at the back of my house. The house was under repair andI had knocked down part of it, only the concrete part was leftwhere I was staying. I told the defendant he must leave the yardwith the gun. He left, going round the east side of the house.I saw the same gun when the police found it in an old sofa inthe back of my yard. I had put it there when I had knocked downpart of my house.
"The police spoke to me about the gun.I recognized the gun at that time. I told them that I didn't knowanything about it; I said so because I was afraid. I didn't knowwhat would happen to me if I had told them about it, what he wouldattempt to do to me. The police took the gun (ex.28 put)
"This looks like the gun I saw thatnight. I have a family, two children. I had them at the time,after the police had found the gun. About three days after thatI saw the defendant again, we were playing a football game inthe road beyond my house.
The defendant was playing with us. I saidI was going to my house to get some money to go to the shop andPhilip said there was some money in a pear tree by the side ofthe road, so I went to the tree and took a dollar in change toget some cigarettes. Before I left for the shop I had asked thedefendant where the money came from and he said out of Miss CheChe shop.
"Before Philip brought his gun to myhouse I had seen him with a .22 rifle. It was about a mile frommy house."
Next: The testimoniesof Simon Coldwater and Rob Benchly
Disclaimer: The preceedingexcerpt from the Autobiography of Philip Glennan Ebanks is copyrightedby Philip Glennan Ebanks and does not necessarily reflect theviews of Cayman Net News, CNN employees or its affiliates. CaymanNet News does not accept responsibility for opinions expressedin this series.©