Autobiography
Who KilledMiss Che Che?
An Autobiography
Episode 37:Innocent Until Proven Guilty
I've had many people ask me, "Did youdo that Phil?" I always deny any involvement. "Well,you're convicted so you must have done it," some say. I thenturn away and say no more, thinking people have a lot to learnabout these kinds of cases. No one considers the offence untilit is his or her son or husband charged.
I can recall one of the cases that I'veread about, biographies about people who were convicted for crimesthey did not commit. I'll tell you about one of those cases thatinvolved a youth, only 18 years old and convicted for murder.I choose this case because the youth was young like me, only oneyear older than I was when I was convicted. The youth and I hada lot in common. He had also grown up around drugs and had committedpretty crimes. He used to steal cars, drive around and then abandonthem somewhere.
One night he stole a van which later becamethe center of a murder/rape scene. The woman who owned the vanhad been abducted. While the abductor looked for a place to park,the woman was tied up in the back of the van. Right as the abductorwas abandoning the car, along came the 18-year-old car thief whothen stole the van and drove off, not knowing the woman's bodywas in the back.
The woman's daughter had reported her mothermissing earlier in the evening so the police were keeping an eyeout for her van. They spotted it and stopped the 18 year old,only to discover the woman's raped and murdered body in the back."You're under arrest for murder."
The youth was convicted for rape and first-degreemurder. He had pleaded with the police and the courts that hehad only stolen the van and that he had not raped or killed anyonebut no one believed him. In court they said that he had rapedand killed the woman and was looking for a place to abandon thevan and body when the police had showed up. He was sentenced to15 years for the rape and death for the murder. No matter howmany drugs he had used or how many cars he had stolen, he didnot deserve that sentence.
Eight years later he was released becausehis big brother believed him and investigated the crime further.He was not satisfied with the police investigation and dug deeper.He followed the lead his little brother gave him and searchedfor a tall white male that his little brother had seen get outof the van. People hated him, despised him and condemned him buthis big brother trusted him and knew him.
It took him eight years to hunt down this tall white guy. Onenight he watched the apartment and sure enough he saw him comehome.
Then his big brother went home, took outhis .44 magnum and returned to the apartment. He knocked on thedoor. It opened and the man was looking down the black hole ofthat .44 magnum's barrel! He told the guy to go back inside andthe guy obeyed. Then the big brother followed him inside and satopposite the tall man, never moving the gun.
He said, "I know who you are. My brotheris in prison for something you did, not just in prison for it,he is sentenced to death!" He had then told the guy to goto the police and confess the crime or he would blow him to kingdomcome and would follow him to hell if he ran.
The big brother told him that he would havea better chance of living if he went to the police.
The guy confessed and was charged and convicted.The youth was released when we has 26 years old. This happenedin 1962, before I was born. The youth accepted no apologies, nocompensation, nothing. He got out of prison, packed up and leftthe state of Boston.
I would write of other such cases, evensome about people who were executed and eventually found innocentbut this is my biography and not the history of American murdertrials.
I was still in maximum on the Saturday,12th March 1988, five days before my 23rd birthday and three monthsbefore my release day in June when the police came to the prisonto see me. I was escorted to the detention room at the magnateof the prison and charged with murder! Again!
All I could do was look from one officerto the next, pleading, "Look at me! Look in my eyes and tellme if you see a murderer!" They looked, I looked. "Weare not the ones to decide that. It is for the courts," Iwas told.
I said no more and walked out of the roomand back to my cell in old maximum. I was later that day transferredback up to the new maximum and placed in Number 2 Cell where Icried myself to sleep. The other inmates heard and asked whathappened. I said nothing for weeks, spoke not a single word. Mybirthday crossed and I did not care. What was happening to mewas too much. I still got no visitors, no hand-ins. I sent a messageto Anna Joy to bring some things I needed. She did that for mefor weeks. Thank you Anna.
My first appearance in court was Monday,14th March 1988. As before, many people gathered at the courthouse.Rodney was also charged and extradited from the States. Dwaynewas charged and was in court with me. I asked Dwayne if he hadtalked and he denied it. I asked if Rod had talked but Dwaynedid not know. "So what's the new evidence then?" Noone knew.
By then the news had spread all over theisland. Rodney was held at the police station for one week afterhe was extradited and Dwayne and I were remanded to Northwardthat evening. I asked them not to mention my rifle. They assuredme that they would not talk but I got a big surprise in June 1988when I received my court bundle.
We went back and forth to court every sevendays for 18 months before my trial was held. I was remanded rightback to prison after my previous sentence had expired, still sayingnothing, just bearing it all. I did not think of escaping untilMay 25th 1988, one month before my release date because I knewI would be remanded right back to prison.
I started to plan my escape 2 weeks beforethe 25th May. I was now 23 and my mother and father were dead.I had made applications to attend both of their funerals and bothapplications were denied. My life ended when I was arrested at17 years old for a crime I did not commit. Even though I was acquittedat my Preliminary Inquiry, this offence continued to haunt me.I realized it would follow me for the rest of my life. I wonderedwhy my life had to be so hard to live.
I'm not telling any lies. I'm getting itall out of me because I've contained it for too long and I'm tellingno lies on no one or about anything, so you read. I guess peoplewill think that I must have done something bad, and that's whythe prison treated me that way. But I want people to know thetruth.
Next: For the firsttime ever Philip tells his side of the story. He explains in vividdetail exactly what happened the night Miss Che Che was killed,13th December 1982. This is the first time the story will be toldin his own words.
Disclaimer: The preceeding excerpt from the Autobiography of PhilipGlennan Ebanks is copyrighted by Philip Glennan Ebanks and doesnot necessarily reflect the views of Cayman Net News, CNN employeesor its affiliates. Cayman Net News does not accept responsibilityfor opinions expressed in this series.©