Taylor went on to confess to her involvement in the crime, also naming James White. Police Arrest Suspect After Fatal Shooting in Beatrice Murders She also earned income from disability benefits, listing Stockholm syndrome as one of her medical conditions, per The New Yorker. Jennifer Roback Published: 15:32 ET, Jun 20 2022 Updated: 15:58 ET, Jun 20 2022 SIX people, After serving more than 18 years of a life prison sentence, White was released from prison in October 2008 and officially exonerated in early 2009. By the end of the police investigation, Taylor, Shelden and Dean believed they were guilty of Wilson's murder. After collectively serving 77 years in prison, law enforcement reviewed the evidence again in 2008, and new DNA testing conclusively identified Bruce Allen Smith as Wilsons lone killer. Its a mission that guides Beatrices actors as well as Wang, whose Mind Over Murder navigates a thicket of conflicting and irreconcilable specifics to arrive at its own complicated truths about denial, misconduct, prejudice, and the agony of unflattering introspection. Her case would go cold for four years until investigators arrested three men and three women for her murder Though he received $25,000 in compensation from the state of Nebraska before his death, his estate received an additional $475,000 afterward. Emery insisted to the police that he was not responsible for the savage attack upon Helen Wilson. [5] White, who maintained his innocence, demanded the examination of DNA evidence that led to their exoneration and then filed a Federal civil rights lawsuit against Gage County, Nebraska on behalf of all six defendants, which went to trial in January 2014; White had by then died in a workplace accident in 2011. On the night of February 5, 1985, Helen Wilson, 68, was sexually attacked and killed in the Beatrice, Nebraska, apartment where she lived alone. Despite denying any involvement in the crime, Dean too, would suddenly admit his apparent participation in the crime. Where Are The "Beatrice Six" Now? They Received Over $28 In an age of rampant fake-news indoctrination, its an all-too-timely topic, and it transforms the series into a heartbreaking reminder that people often opt to believe that which is most comforting and familiar over concrete, indisputable facts. Police Arrest Suspect After Fatal Shooting in Beatrice - KLKN-TV WebA Beatrice man is in custody on suspicion of second-degree murder after a Beatrice Police Chief Bruce Lang said officers went to the 1000 block of North 12th Street at about They came to be known as the Beatrice Six. In doing so, it proves a complex attempt at using art to determine and reveal the truthand, also, to help bring about some measure of healing. The first person to be arrested was Ada JoAnn Taylor, then Joseph White, and then Thomas Winslow. Following his release, he received $180,000 in compensation for his wrongful conviction, followed by another $7.3 million in the 2016 decision. I still think that I was guilty because I was there, she said in 2008, per the Lincoln Journal Star. More than 20 years later, DNA testing revealed the real killer to be Bruce Allen Smith, who was long dead by then. Ms. Gonzalez now works as a cashier at a grocery store in the tiny town of York, Neb., and said the $2 million she is owed could come in handy. WebThe 2020 crime rate in Beatrice, NE is 214 (City-Data.com crime index), which is comparable to the U.S. average. The Beatrice Six were also told by Gage County Sheriff detectives and a police psychologist, Wayne Price, that they had committed the crime, despite them having absolutely no recollection of the attack, details The Washington Post. She volunteered at a Methodist church in town, composed little poems for her grandchildren on their birthdays and was forever snapping photos and making tape recordings at family parties to preserve the memories. True crime non-fiction can be exploitative and superficial but, at its finest, it investigates horror stories as a means of examining and understanding reality and humanity. But a darker view also pervades conversations across Beatrices downtown among those who still believe that the six people who were convicted are guilty, despite the pardons, the DNA evidence and the state-run investigation identifying a different killer. She hoped the money would help her buy a car and get things fixed around the house. Ms. Gonzalez, a voracious reader, often gets to work early to read the newspapers in the grocery store break room, and not long ago came upon a letter to the editor from a Gage County farmer who argued that his taxes should not have to go up on account of someone elses actions 30 years ago. While the investigation into Helen's homicide was underway, another Beatrice, Nebraska, resident was among the list of suspects. Beyond that, not a lot is known about Debras current whereabouts. The six suspects long maintained their innocence during the trial proceedings and insisted they did not commit the killing. Sentenced to 10 to 40 years for aiding and abetting second-degree murder, Taylor moved to a halfway house in Omaha after her release and struggled to convince herself that she had never met Wilson. A Rural County Owes $28 Million for Wrongful Convictions. It They In March 1989, Beatrice investigators began their hunt for the people they suspected of committing the murder of Helen Wilson, and they set out for the group. Although there were six individuals, collectively known as the Beatrice Six, who were convicted for Helen's murder, it turns out they were not the perpetrators responsible for the crime. Who were the Beatrice Six and where are they now? Got a tip? It did not match, and they found that it actually matched another man named Bruce Allen Smith, who was a suspect in the case at one point, reported Beatrice Daily Sun. BEATRICE, Despite the DNA recovered from the crime scene not matching Bruce's in 1985, he was tied to the killing again in 2008 based on newly introduced evidence that matched his DNA. The lead investigator in the case was a deputy by the name of Burt Searcey. She was released after serving about 4 and a half years. Price always maintained his innocence. Part of the reason we pushed through the emotions was because of Joe White, Winslow, who had been sexually assaulted in prison, told The New Yorker of the lawsuit in 2017. The Gage County board approved agreements with six insurers on Wednesday to secure $5.98 million to help pay the countys debt off Speaking in 2019 to the Lincoln Journal Star following the Supreme Court's decision, White's mother, Lois shared: "My main objective in all of it was to see that his name was cleared and that the folks that put him through all that was held up to the light for the world to see.". [5] It is expected that the county will make payments twice a year after property taxes are collected. Yankees broadcaster hit by foul ball during play-by-play. Some parts 2023 Advameg, Inc. Crime rate in Beatrice, Nebraska (NE): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map. The $28 million jury award is one of the largest judgments ever levied against such a small place, say experts who study wrongful convictions. 'Beatrice Six,' wrongfully convicted of murder based on repressed BEATRICE, Neb. On the show, James stated that he later apologized to Joseph after all those years. Debra Shelden also gave an admission to the crime. The same year, White, who later died in a 2011 work-related accident, filed a civil rights lawsuit, and the group was ultimately awarded $28.1 million in damages. She said, I knew I wasnt guilty, but you get tired of being told things that after so long, you just started accepting it. Initially, after her release, she moved to a halfway house in Omaha, Nebraska. It was about four years later when the investigation picked up, and six people Joseph White, Thomas Winslow, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Debra Shelden, James Dean, and Kathy Gonzalez were wrongly convicted for their part in the crime. Among the additional evidence that landed Smith on an early suspect list, a convenience store clerk reported seeing him covered in blood the next morning. A task force led by Nebraskas attorney general then identified the real killer as Bruce Allen Smith, who had been 22 at the time of the murder and was seen heading toward Ms. Wilsons apartment building the night she was killed. In July 2016, a jury awarded them $28 million and in 2019, the county's appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States was declined. In July 2016, a jury awarded his estate an additional $7.3 million, a decision that the county unsuccessfully appealed all the way to the United States Supreme Court in 2019. Mind Over Murder will document the 1985 murder of sixty-eight-year-old Beatrice, Nebraska resident Helen Wilson. Thomas also stated that he was not bitter about his time behind bars but only wanted an apology. DATE & TIME: 12-09-2021 @ 10:00 am LOCATION: 403 Warren Street / Liberty, Nebraska OFFENSE: Conspiracy to Commit Murder CASE #: 2021-5042 The Gage County Sheriffs Office became aware of a conspiracy to commit murder in the Blue Springs, Nebraska area. Some in Gage County say the community has a moral obligation to compensate the Beatrice Six. Nobody wants this.. Because I know about paying for something somebody else did, she said. Mr. Smith died in 1992. Sometimes DNA was not tested and people could be sent to jail on hearsay. One of the six still believes the false confession she gave implicating herself. Longs girlfriend and a 2-year-old were inside the home at the time. This Fan-Favorite Mystery Series Just Got Officially Renewed For Season 3, Squid Game Creator Hwang Dong-Hyuk Just Dropped A Major Season 2 Tease, Mack & Dom Are Dating New People After Their Epic 'MAFS' Breakup, Shaq & Kirsten Are In A Better Place After Their 'MAFS' Breakup Shocker, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. The remaining three all received 10-year sentences. The tangled case began in February 1985, when Ms. Wilson was found inside the apartment where she lived by herself. Retired Beatrice PD officer Burt Searcy decided that hed take a crack at the case, and he eventually stumbled upon local resident Lisa Podendorf, who claimed that on the night of the killing shed seen Joseph White, Tom Winslow, and JoAnn Taylor pulling into Wilsons driveway. However, the convictions were secured on the grounds of five confessions that were later found to be false. Eli Chesen, a Nebraska psychologist who evaluated the group members after they left prison told The New Yorker some members suffered from Stockholm Syndrome. Moreover, thanks to the efforts of special investigator Tina Vath, a definitive match was identified: Bruce Allen Smith, whod previously been eliminated as a suspect because his blood type didnt correspond with that discovered at the scene. (The Oklahoma labs analyst later faced accusations of falsifying evidence.). At the time of his arrest, James lived in Lincoln and had two children. Investigators showed them photos of the crime scene. Six innocent people were sent to prison for the 1985 murder of Helen Wilson. Thus, five people wound up behind bars for a homicide to whichsave for White, who always proclaimed his innocencetheyd all confess, as would a sixth woman, Kathy Gonzalez, who lived directly above the victim. Joseph was the only one to stand trial for Helens murder. When people feel scared, they do anything they can do to feel safe.. Im unfortunate enough to have to pay for the mistakes of the past leadership.. It doesnt change the fact that they owe her millions of dollars. White's conviction was overturned, and the rest were pardoned by the state of Nebraska. Top, from left, Joseph White, Tom Winslow, and Ada JoAnn Taylor. The controversial interrogations would prove to create false confessions which were recanted in later years. Some of the other co-defendants falsely testified against him in exchange for lesser sentences. Ow!' Beatrice Six - Wikipedia They scattered across Nebraska and the rest of the country after being released from prison and cleared, and they do not speak much to one another. They were the first in Nebraska to be exonerated based on DNA evidence. This is not something you win at the lottery, something Im inheriting from a rich relative, she said. Bruce Allen Smith as Wilsons lone killer. The Beatrice Six were wrongfully convicted for Wilson's murder. Her case would go cold for four years until investigators arrested three men and three women for her murder James Dean, Kathleen Gonzalez, Debra Shelden, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Thomas Winslow, and Joseph White. Nebraska Helen Wilsons killer identified - beatricedailysun.com Beatrice, Nebraska - Wikipedia In 2009, authorities revealed Helen Wilsons killer to be Bruce Allen Smith, one of their 10 original suspects who officials wrongly cleared early in the investigation, raising questions about the reliability of confessions and memory in criminal cases. The unfortunate story of the Beatrice Six is one of the many examples of wrongful conviction cases in the U.S. Every year thousands of innocent people are convicted and handed a prison sentence some even get sent to death row, reports The Marshall Project. He said, Those people who testified and lied on the stand were scared. But Joseph Whites relentless pursuit of justice meant that DNA exonerated them after spending varying amounts of time in prison. In this January 26, 2009 file photo, four of the six people known as the Beatrice Six, from the left, James Dean, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Thomas Winslow and Debra Shelden applaud during a reception in Lincoln, Nebraska. The DNA matched Bruce Allen Smith, an original suspect in the case who had died in 1992. They dangled cooperation as a way of serving shorter sentences and avoiding the electric chair. It has stirred resentment in the coffee shops and bars of Beatrice, a small town where suspicions about the defendants known as the Beatrice Six still linger like an oil stain on the road. Since no DNA analysis was done at the time of the original 1989 trial, Stratton persuaded new Gage County attorney Randy Ritnour to order 40-plus items tested, and the results were definitive: none of the samples collected from Wilson or her apartment came from the Beatrice Six. Some had substance abuse problems and criminal records. BEATRICE, NEB. However, when Type B blood was found at the crime scene that did not match their blood types or Wilson's, police were certain other individuals were involved. What makes the case particularly perplexing is that five members of the Beatrice Six Joseph White, Thomas Winslow, Ada Taylor, Debra Shelden, James Dean, and Kathy Gonzalez confessed to the crimes despite having no memory of actually committing them. Winslow pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. However, total damages to the Beatrice Six would eventually cost Gage county $28 million dollars, per Omaha World-Herald. Murder In Illinois, exonerated prisoners spent months waiting for compensation as state lawmakers dithered over passing a budget. They were Joseph White, Thomas Winslow, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Debra Shelden, James Dean, and Kathy Gonzalez. When all was said and done, White received life in prison, Wilson earned 50 years, Taylor got 40, and the other three netted a decade of incarceration. WebIn 1985, 68-year-old Helen Wilson was found dead in her apartment. Joseph White, Thomas Winslow, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Debra Other residents say they should not be held financially responsible for an investigation and prosecution that unfolded more than three decades ago. The latter two soon copped to participating in the crime, and Taylor additionally brought up the name Cliff Shelden, a neer-do-well who immediately turned around and told officers that his own wife, Debra, had been present. Sadly, White died in a workplace accident in 2011. The Beatrice Six received their first payment in June 2019. Higher means more crime, U.S. average is 254.8. Furthermore, she relayed that, on the following morning, Taylor told her that she and White had killed Wilson. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. WebUS News DIED BEFORE TRIED Who was Bruce Allen Smith and how did he die? Use at your own risk. Only the Left Has the Answer, Democrats Pressure Biden to Cancel Student Loans After Supreme Court Ruling, Exclusive: Trump Made Shocking Comments About Ivanka, Says Ex-Staffer, We're Heading for a Social Security Apocalypse, Joe Biden is Weathering the Storm of Hunter's Scandals, Clarence Thomas Attacks Ketanji Brown Jackson Over Affirmative Action. Ms. Wilson was the heart of her family, recalled her grandson, Bob Houseman. He was 30 years old at the time of his death. Bottom, from left, Deb Shelden, James Dean and Kathy Gonzalez. From what we can tell, James has lived away from the spotlight since the case ended. At sentencing, White was sentenced to life, Winslow was handed a 50-year sentence, and Taylor was served a 40-year sentence. WebThe Beatrice Six, a group of Nebraska outcasts wrongfully convicted of the brutal February 1985 rape and murder of 68-year-old grandmother Helen Wilson, are at the Investigation Discoverys The Beatrice Six looks into the decades-long saga of Helen Wilsons murder in Beatrice, Nebraska. We were all basically chemically induced idiots. On the night of the crime, Emery had been out with a couple of male friends and then crashed at his apartment. I truly believe we put them in jail illegally., One of her customers piped up: No way, she said. On February 5, 1985, Helen Wilson was sexually assaulted and murdered at her home in Beatrice, Nebraska. Hilary Swift for The New York Times. Gage County had to raise property taxes to the maximum amount permitted under the law in order to pay the jury award. None of us were living aboveboard lives, Ms. Gonzalez said. The state would agree to pay White $500,000, Gonzalez $350,000, and Winslow $180,000, reported the Lincoln Journal Star. Taylor had named high school friends and more recent acquaintances in questioning, who police then had arrested. 1 of 4 Helen Wilson is buried next to her husband, Ray, in Pleasant View Cemetery near Pickrell. But DNA evidence proved that he was innocent. The Beatrice Six, including the heirs of White, received their first payment in June 2019. In 2009, the Beatrice Six were exonerated after new DNA evidence surfaced in 2008. The Beatrice Six were Joseph White, Thomas Winslow, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Debra Shelden, James Dean and Kathy Gonzalez. Filmmaker Nanfu Wangs (One Child Nation) HBO docuseries chronicles the 1985 rape and murder of Nebraska grandmother Helen Wilson and the six people wrongfully convicted of it. Also agreeing to testify against White, Dean received a 10-year prison sentence, of which he served about five years. Michigans wrongful compensation fund ran low on money earlier this year, and exonerees told The Detroit News that they were left to wait for payments as a bill to replenish the fund with $10 million moved through the State Legislature. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/01/us/beatrice-six-nebraska.html. On the night Wilson was killed in February 1985, Smith had been drinking in a local bar before leaving for a party around midnight, per the Beatrice Daily Sun. In 2009, Joseph White, Thomas Winslow, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Debra Shelden, James Dean, and Kathy Gonzalez were set free after 24 years of false imprisonment. That would have been the end of Mind Over Murders story if not for Doug Stratton, an appellate attorney who, in 2005, was referred to White, who continued to deny having anything to do with Wilsons demise. Months later, the aforementioned people were convicted and sentenced to prison for Helen's murder. Though his current whereabouts are unclear, he was previously reported to be working as a truck driver in Salinas, Kansas. Ow! In late 1989, White was found guilty of first-degree murder, with the other five individuals admitting to aiding in the alleged crimes. That made it O.K. No. WebHBOs original six-part documentary series, Mind Over Murder, revisits the 1985 rape and murder of Helen Wilson, a beloved 68-year-old grandmother in the small town of (AP) A Beatrice man has been jailed after the shooting death of another man outside the suspects home. The suspect, Brandon Long, 25, told owes $28.1 million to six people who were imprisoned in 1989 for another man's murder. BEATRICE, NEB. June 20, 2022. Ada also stated that she lost touch with a lot of family members while in prison. Winslow was also interviewed and named himself and three others. However, most of these confessions were given out of fear, says Omaha World-Herald. She needs to buy a car, see a dentist to fix her teeth and install air-conditioning in her house before Nebraskas summer swelter descends. WebSix innocent people were sent to prison for the 1985 murder of Helen Wilson. It adjusts for the number of visitors and daily workers commuting into cities. WebOn Feb. 5, 1985, 68-year-old grandmother Helen Wilson was brutally raped and murdered in her one-bedroom apartment in Beatrice, Nebraska. WebOn Monday, the Supreme Court upheld $28.1 million in damages to the wrongfully convicted, now known as the Beatrice Six. Murder They knew too much about it to be innocent, Karen Probst said one afternoon as she chatted with customers inside her familys quilting store. Ms. Gonzalez was one of six innocent people who collectively spent 77 years in prison in the murder of a 68-year-old woman named Helen Wilson, whose death haunted this rural county for decades. WebTickets on sale for 65th Nebraska Shrine Bowl, game to be televised on News Channel Nebraska. Even after her release, she continued to believe she was involved in the murder. But the confessions obtained were mostly false. She also received $7.3 million as part of the civil suit and hoped to buy a home with it. WebBeatrice Police Chief Bruce Lang said Alex Rader, of Beatrice, died at a hospital shortly after being shot late Wednesday, KWBE reported. She said: "They still believed to varying degrees that they had blood on their hands. Helen was, in fact, her great-aunt. Even in light of this bombshell, years went by with no productive action, until Searcy joined the Sheriffs Department and revisited Podendorfs admissionsa lead that led to the questioning of White, Winslow, and Taylor. The blood evidence at the scene would match Smith as well exonerating all of the Beatrice Six of involvement in the 1985 crime. But Thomas always maintained that he had no memory of being at Helens house that night. The other three had been previously released earlier serving half of their sentences. Through their review of the evidence and new DNA testing, officials conclusively identified Smith as the person who raped and murdered Wilson in 1985. Their new beliefs superseded their previous life experiences, like paper covering a rock.". Gage County built its criminal case against the Beatrice Six by drawing out false confessions and manufactured memories from three of the defendants, a state-run inquiry and court reviews would later find. She was found to have Type B blood and soon the investigation was finished, with five out of six of the accused confessing to police they were responsible for the death of Wilson. Now a county owes them $28 million", "County asks Beatrice Six trials to be separated", "Beatrice Six win millions in civil rights claims, but 'no amount of money' will replace years lost, one family says", "U.S. Supreme Court to let stand $28.1 million judgment against Gage County in Beatrice Six case", "Mind Over Murder | Official Trailer | HBO", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beatrice_Six&oldid=1145584697, Overturned convictions in the United States, American people wrongfully convicted of murder, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 19 March 2023, at 23:02. Gage County spent a decade and nearly $2 million in legal fees fighting the suit, rejecting offers to settle for $15 million, before its final appeals were rejected by the United States Supreme Court early this month.
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