On this date April 26th-The murder of young Mary Phagan in Atlanta (1913)

[MichaelWinicki]

in an Atlanta pencil factor which triggered perhaps one of the inept investigations and a highly publicized court cases (think OJ trial amped up on steroids) in American history. The whole case supposedly ended with an ugly episode of mob violence, but was later potentially turned upside down by evidence that came forward in the 1980's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Frank

http://www.leofrank.org/

 

[JDSmith]

I hit up the wikipedia pages on this story thanks to your post, and what an unbelievable travesty of justice that whole thing was.

I mean, basically the cops went back to the real perpetrator every time they caught him in a lie and he'd just modify it for them so they could railroad someone else.

I can't read and write. - You sure? Because we can prove that you can.

...next day...

I can read and write, but I didn't write that note. - You sure? Because you misspell the same words and have the same hand writing.

...next day...

I wrote the note, but only because he told me to do it on Friday. Then I helped him with the body on Saturday. - You sure? Because that would make it premeditated and kinda sounds stupid.

...next day...

Would you believe I wrote it on Saturday and then we carried the body to the basement? - Yeah, that works. We should definitely get a conviction based on this stellar testimony.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I hit up the wikipedia pages on this story thanks to your post, and what an unbelievable travesty of justice that whole thing was.

I mean, basically the cops went back to the real perpetrator every time they caught him in a lie and he'd just modify it for them so they could railroad someone else.

I can't read and write. - You sure? Because we can prove that you can.

...next day...

I can read and write, but I didn't write that note. - You sure? Because you misspell the same words and have the same hand writing.

...next day...

I wrote the note, but only because he told me to do it on Friday. Then I helped him with the body on Saturday. - You sure? Because that would make it premeditated and kinda sounds stupid.

...next day...

Would you believe I wrote it on Saturday and then we carried the body to the basement? - Yeah, that works. We should definitely get a conviction based on this stellar testimony.

It's a stunning story. I can't believe it happened the way that it did.

JoBenet Ramsey and Mary Phagan are both buried in Marietta, GA, which is an amazing occurrence on its own– The most renowned child murder to start the century and the most renowned child murder to end it. And in neither case does it seem that justice was served.

 

[JDSmith]

It's a stunning story. I can't believe it happened the way that it did.

JoBenet Ramsey and Mary Phagan are both buried in Marietta, GA, which is an amazing occurrence on its own– The most renowned child murder to start the century and the most renowned child murder to end it. And in neither case does it seem that justice was served.

When you read it now, from the perspective of people under the modern legal system, it's just unreal that they could even get an indictment with the evidence they had against Leo Frank - which was essentially nothing. And the evidence they DID find all pointed to one guy - who naturally became their star witness.

And then for them to pull the guy from prison and lynch him... the whole thing could be an incredibly powerful movie, but it would probably be one I wouldn't want to watch because I hate movies where the ending leaves me feeling down.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

When you read it now, from the perspective of people under the modern legal system, it's just unreal that they could even get an indictment with the evidence they had against Leo Frank - which was essentially nothing. And the evidence they DID find all pointed to one guy - who naturally became their star witness.

And then for them to pull the guy from prison and lynch him... the whole thing could be an incredibly powerful movie, but it would probably be one I wouldn't want to watch because I hate movies where the ending leaves me feeling down.

The thing that surprises me is that Mary Phagan's great niece (who looks amazingly like her) still believes that Frank was the murderer. And I just don't get that.

But the real sad for me is that in both this case and the Ramsey case it seem the victim was kind of forgotten amongst all the other goings on. Two young girls were needlessly murdered.

 

[JDSmith]

The thing that surprises me is that Mary Phagan's great niece (who looks amazingly like her) still believes that Frank was the murderer. And I just don't get that.

But the real sad for me is that in both this case and the Ramsey case it seem the victim was kind of forgotten amongst all the other goings on. Two young girls were needlessly murdered.

Yeah, and both girls were being exploited long before they were killed, at least IMO. They were victims before they were the victims. Mary Phagan had to quit school at 10 to work a full time job for almost nothing. And don't even get me started on that whole toddlers in tiaras thing.

And after they were killed all of the focus went to what happened, who did it, and who knew.

Funny how nobody cared about the plight of Mary Phagan when she was working 55 hours a week in a factory at the ages of 10 to 13.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Funny how nobody cared about the plight of Mary Phagan when she was working 55 hours a week in a factory at the ages of 10 to 13.

Great point.

 

[burmafrd]

completely different world then. Real police investigation was in its infancy. And at the time those involved in the court system were not in any way shape or form our best and brightest (sort of like it is now)

 

[Fletch]

completely different world then. Real police investigation was in its infancy. And at the time those involved in the court system were not in any way shape or form our best and brightest (sort of like it is now)

Nothing has changed.

 

[burmafrd]

Nothing has changed.

actually the problem is not so much the bright part its the best part. Lawyers are pretty much scum anymore with a few exceptions. BUT then what do you expect when the system has warped to a point where you always have to lie to get ahead or accomplish anything?

Think about the oath any witness is required to take: "I will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth"

BUT the lawyers and judges are not required to do any of that. The whole truth is NEVER given anywhere anymore.