Four
women from San Antonio, tried and convicted in the late 1990’s for allegedly
abusing the 7 and 9 year-old nieces of one of the women, have been set free on
a signature bond (basically freed on their own recognizance), and are awaiting
word from the Court of Criminal Appeals (Texas’ highest criminal court) on
whether their charges will be overturned or whether they will face a new trial.
Their
accusers, now grown, long-ago recanted.
The Houston Chronicle has
a lengthy report on the release of Elizabeth
Ramirez, 39, Cassandra
Rivera, 38, and Kristie
Mayhugh, 40. The fourth woman, Anna
Vasquez, had been out on a harsh-termed parole for a year, which has been
reduced. All four are lesbians, and
their sexual identity played a central role during the trial, with the prosecution
indicating to the juries that the women’s lesbianism predisposed them to the
abuse of little girls.
During and after the trial,
inconsistencies between the young girls’ accusations were highlighted, as were
problems with the State’s pseudo-scientific evidence. In particular, the State’s expert Nancy
Kellogg testified that a mark on the hymen of one of the alleged victims was evidence
of scarring and abuse. That theory has
since been completely refuted. No other
physical evidence was brought in the case, nor was evidence that one of the
accusers had a history of making unfounded claims of sexual abuse, always in
conjunction with a personal dispute.
The Bexar County (San Antonio)
prosecutor’s office has been on board with the defense in letting the women go.
They have languished in prison for 16 years, but are thankful they are out now.
Full story and photo: http://www.chron.com/news/local/article/Freedom-comes-to-three-of-the-San-Antonio-4-4991013.php?cmpid=houtexhcat
Further background reading on the
case: http://fourliveslost.com/
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