In 2001, Jamie Snow took the stand in his own defense against the charge of murder. Jamie’s legal team was extremely underprepared, and explained to him that if he did not testify, he wouldn’t win his case. He had one night’s notice that he would take the stand. But Jamie was hopeful. He figured if he told the truth, he didn’t have to prepare, he would be good. Jamie was on the stand for a very long time. He rebutted every witness presented in previous episodes of Snow Files, and in great detail, recounted his prior conviction, his participation in the lineup, his alibi, and the cast on his arm, all while maintaining eye contact with his jury. But Jamie Snow was still convicted. Part two of this nineteenth episode of Snow Files, presented by Jamie Snow himself, and foreshadows the importance of the closing arguments to come.
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In 2001, Jamie Snow took the stand in his own defense against the charge of murder. Jamie’s legal team was extremely underprepared, and explained to him that if he did not testify, he wouldn’t win his case. He had one night’s notice that he would take the stand. But Jamie was hopeful. He figured if he told the truth, he didn’t have to prepare, he would be good. Jamie was on the stand for a very long time. He rebutted every witness presented in previous episodes of Snow Files, and in great detail, recounted his prior conviction, his participation in the lineup, his alibi, and the cast on his arm, all while maintaining eye contact with his jury. But Jamie Snow was still convicted. Part one of this nineteenth episode of Snow Files, presented by Jamie Snow himself, strives to answer one overarching question, what is it like to be on trial for your life?
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Julie Knight first told police about Susan Claycomb’s alleged “confessions” in 1997 after Knight had been taken to the Bloomington Police station because of unspecified legal trouble. Knight made another statement in April 1999 a few days after losing custody of her children. Shortly after, it became a family affair. Knight’s mother, brother and father also made statements to police implicating Susan, even though Susan had allegedly confessed to them nearly 10 years earlier. Why didn’t this upstanding family report these confessions to police nearly a decade earlier? Julie Knight was exposed as a person with a propensity for lying at the first trial, so the state dumped her. Her bestie, Bridget Logsdon, took her place at Jamie’s trial. Bridget reported a short conversation between Julie and Jamie’s wife that she supposedly overheard at a bar. The switch from Julie to Bridget was a strategic move made by the State, and it worked. This eighteenth episode of Snow Files traces gal pal gossip from its origination, through a family feud, the local bars, and all the way to a wrongful conviction.
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Just days before the trial, defense witness Mary Burns, an all too friendly corrections officer, was contacted by the state. Reports suggest that she resigned from the McLean County Jail in 2000, after having an affair with an inmate she supervised. Custodial sexual misconduct is a class 3 felony in Illinois. Mary Burns reported having many conversations with Jamie and his co-defendant while she supervised them. But Mary would only testify to two, which included thoughts about who may have done it, and a joke about being chased by police. She said other inmates were present when Jamie confessed, but then recanted on the stand, saying that it was just her and Jamie present during the conversation. All three men she originally named said the conversation never happened, two of these men tell their story for the first time here.This seventeenth episode of Snow Files exposes how the state underhandedly used a disgraced law enforcement agent to provide credibility in their case against Jamie Snow.
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In 1999, a supposed gang boss turned Reverend returned to the state of Illinois to testify against Jamie. Jamie never met Bill Gaddis in his entire life. Bill Gaddis was loosely connected to some of Jamie’s friends only through relation to his brother. Two of his brothers would go on record to say Bill Gaddis was a liar and knew nothing about this case. But he took the stand for the state anyway, and said he saw Jamie in his brother’s apartment in 1991, and a man who was since deceased, accused Jamie of the murder, and he didn’t respond, so he knows Jamie did it. Bill Gaddis named several men who witnessed this incident, all who were either dead or testified it never happened. Bill Gaddis was portrayed as credible due to his license to preach, although he would not disclose where he preached. This sixteenth episode of Snow Files exposes exactly why Reverend Bill Gaddis was willing to bare false witness against that neighbor.
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For six months in 1995, Kevin Schaal was Jamie’s cellmate. Jamie settled in Florida the next year and began a successful career in tree cutting. When Schaal was released, he brought his entire family to Jamie’s doorstep and Jamie helped him. Jamie met Jody Winkler in 1999 while he was down on his luck and on the run. Jamie gave him work and a place to live that summer. But that summer, Schaal was already in more trouble. Schaal tried to get out of it by telling an ATF agent and the Clark Gas Station cold case detectives that Jamie implicated himself in a murder. Just months later, in September, Jamie was indicted, and that November, Winkler was finally caught for his felony charges. Winkler caught on quick and he had a peculiar false confession to report, saying Jamie indicated involvement in a murder. This fifteenth episode of Snow Files traces the timeline from friend to foe, and exposes the paper trail leading to deals cut in return for Jamie’s conviction.
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A message in a bottle was traditionally sent as a distress call, by those at sea who found themselves doomed. Jamie Snow understands the sentiment all too well. Jamie has sent his own SOS pleas via message in a bottle a few times…This time, Jamie needs YOUR help. Jamie doesn’t want to send one bottle again. He wants to send MANY. From each of YOU. With your own SOS pleas, asking for TV producers to take a closer look into Jamie’s case.
Join this event to support Jamie Snow and collaborate on his newest media movement.
Join the Facebook Event Page
Please post your video or pics of your bottles on the Facebook Event page!
Watch Lesley’s instructional video
Send at least 1 bottle each to:
Michael Karzis
60 Minutes – CBS News
524 West 57th St.
New York, NY 10019
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James Jacoby
Frontline
One Guest St.
Boston, MA 02135