Victim Statements
The following are a handful of excerpts pulled from affidavits or written statements by victims of individuals who have already been resentenced or would be eligible for review under SB156, the Second Chance Act.
Anthony Wilson, victim of a residential burglary in 1986 at his Montgomery home in the Cloverdale neighborhood. John Manley, age 24 at the time, was convicted and sentenced to life without parole, in part based on convictions for burglary and theft. He has served 37 years and is now 61 years old. Sadly, Mr. Wilson passed away before his wish that Mr. Manley could be freed was realized.
“I previously would have been opposed to Mr. Manley’s release, but I have recently become aware that over his 37 years in prison, he has maintained an excellent institutional record and sought to better himself through educational programs. I was impressed that despite being sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, he earned his associates degree from Gadsden State along with a trade certificate.
After much thought and reflection, I would like it to be known that I would support Mr. Manley’s release from prison. I believe that his institutional record demonstrates that he is no longer the same person he was when he was 24 years old and burglarized my house. It is my understanding that his attorneys have developed a reentry plan for him to ensure that he has support necessary to be successful.”
Mildretta Louis Penn, victim of robbery in 1984 at Mrs. Winners restaurant in North Birmingham. Johnny Crawford was convicted and sentenced to life without parole. He has served 39 years and is now 72 years old.
“Anyone who commits this type of crime must be punished. However, the penalty imposed must be proportionate to the harm that was caused. If no one is killed, much less injured, when a crime is committed, I do not believe it is in anyone’s interest to send the person to prison for the rest of their life. Anyone who has served decades in prison and demonstrated good behavior deserves another chance at freedom. That is why I support the release of Mr. Crawford.
As a Christian, I believe that all people can be forgiven by God no matter how serious their sins. As a person of faith, who am I to judge someone for their mistakes and say that I should not forgive them? If someone in my family made a terrible mistake, I would hope that the victims of that crime would also find it in their heart to forgive and support an effort to help them regain their freedom.”
John Boyd, victim of a robbery in 1990 while working as manager at a Delchamps supermarket in Mobile. Michael Blair was convicted and remains incarcerated 33 years later. Mr. Blair is now 56 years old.
“At the time, I thought I was getting a criminal off the streets. … I figured that meant 15 or 20 years. Let him out. He didn’t kill anybody,” Mr. Boyd said. “Maybe this will give him a ray of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Farooq Janjua, victim of robbery in 1983 while working at a convenience store in the Titusville community of Birmingham. Ronald McKeithen was convicted of robbery and served 37 years in prison. Mr. McKeithen was released in December, 2020 at the age of 58, with support from Mr. Janjua who signed an affidavit that included the following:
“I have recently learned that Mr. McKeithen was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison because of this robbery and his three nonviolent prior convictions. I was surprised to learn that he is still in prison. As a victim in his case, I fully support Mr. McKeithen’s release from prison. In my opinion, he should have been released many years ago. Thirty-seven years is far too long. Should Mr. McKeithen have a chance to be released, I would have no fear of him whatsoever and would welcome him back to this community.”
Schandra Howze, the victim of a robbery while working at a Mobile convenience store in 1991. Myron Monroe was convicted and sentenced to life without parole, and has been incarcerated at Holman prison for 33 years. He is a leader in the faith dorm and serves as the warden's runner, a position reserved for only the most trustworthy prisoners.
"I believe that Mr. Monroe deserves a second chance at life. I forgive him. He was young. I remember because I was young too. It was scary because I never experienced anything like that before. He just wanted money. I could tell by his expression, once he got the money out of the cash register he left immediately and did not try to harm me with the knife once he got the money. God forgive, so why shouldn't I? Please give him a second chance."
Jennifer Rice, of Birmingham, supported the release of Bruce Pearson, who was sentenced to life without parole for a robbery in which she was the victim. Mr. Pearson was released in 2023 and remains stably employed.
"On July 13th 1994, I was working as a cashier at the Shop-a-Snack on Bessemer Super Highway in Birmingham. While working the register, a man who I later came to know as Bruce Pearson robbed the store of roughly $60 from the register. I testified at his trial where he was found guilty of first-degree robbery.
I believe in second chances for people who have made serious mistakes. I think this is particularly important for people like Bruce Pearson who have demonstrated that they have been rehabilitated after decades of incarceration. I support his Petition requesting that he be resentenced to time served and released from prison."