EP 16: Lies My Preacher Told Me: The Reverend Bill Gaddis
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.
Join the Discussion: www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast
Ep 15: I Got Life with a Little Help from my Friends: Kevin Schaal and Jody Winkler:
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.
Join the Discussion: www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast
Bonus Episode: Message in a Bottle – A CALL TO ACTION TO HELP JAMIE SNOW!
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
—-
James Jacoby
Frontline
One Guest St.
Boston, MA 02135
Jamie Snow Clemency Update:
T’s are being crossed, and i’s are being dotted as we speak, and the petition will be submitted either late tonight, or tomorrow. J asked me the other day if he thinks we will wear people out asking them for letters. He asked, “What if we need more next year?” I said, “Then we will do them again. We support you, we’ll do what we need to do.” Because Jamie Snow supporters are the BEST! But we wanted to let you know we received an additional whopping 132 letters of support for Jamie’s clemency for the last call! You guys are AMAZING! Every. Single. Letter. Counts. We also wanted to share with you the video that is also being submitted. For those of you who are knee deep in the details, of Jamie’s case, just remember, the petition includes all of the case details – this is primarily for Jamie to make his plea in person, and he does an incredible job. So take a listen, and hopefully between the petition, letters and video we will be able to move the PRB in Jamie’s favor. Thanks again for taking the time to write a letter. We appreciate you more than you know! Free Jamie Snow!
-Tam
Episode 14: Whose Lie is it Anyway? A recap of the witnesses discussed in the case so far
Contestants Jamie, Tam, and Lesley play a trivia game moderated by Bruce, to test our memory of who said what, and how they affected Jamie’s case. We run down the crime scene witnesses, lawyers, and informants we have discussed in episodes 1 – 13. Listen in to see if you could convict someone of murder based off your own memory.Join the Discussion: www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast
Ep 13: Karen Calls the Cops: Karen Strong
In 1999, BPD held an in person meeting with Karen Strong. Karen reported that her ex-boyfriend, Mark “Stretch” McCowan, supposedly told her years earlier that Jamie was involved in the Clark Station murder-robbery. Two months later, Stretch told a grand jury that they never had that conversation. But Karen told them it happened. She added in that Jamie was once in a lot of trouble and tried to hide out at their place too. Nine months later, Karen and her friends got wiretapped, and when she didn’t know the cops were listening, she told a different story. A month later, she told the BPD she had a lot of time to think it over since the Grand Jury trial and she had more to tell them, that it didn’t look very good for Stretch or Jamie. She testified again just six months later. This time, she told Jamie’s jury that he actually tried to hide out at her house the night of the crime. Again, Stretch told the jury it didn’t happen. Years later, a friend came forward to report that Karen actually said she didn’t know anything about the crime. This thirteenth episode of Snow Files reveals the he-said-she-said lover’s quarrel that was presented to Jamie’s jury, and examines why Karen might have had motive to interfere with authorities.Join the Discussion: www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast
Episode 12: Nothing Left to Booze: Bruce Roland
In 1994, repeat DUI offender Bruce Roland wrote to the McLean State’s Attorney’s Office twice, pleading for leniency, saying he could get them an indictment in the Clark gas station murder. But when they sent detective Crowe to interview him, nothing happened, because Roland only reported rumors he heard from others. But in 1999, he was in jail for another DUI. This time he really needed the favor. So he said Jamie confessed to him. A polygraph showed Roland was lying, but he testified against Jamie anyways. Other witnesses refuted his story, and testified that it was impossible, but Jamie was still convicted. Ten months later, Bruce Roland and his wife got their own plea deals in return. This twelfth episode of Snow Files highlights the repetitive nature and tactics consistently used by snitches and prosecutors alike to get by in McLean county.Join the Discussion: www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast
EP 11: Bridge Over Troubled Robber: Ed Hammond
In 1996, bank robber Ed Hammond was sitting in prison, concerned about a looming 10 year federal sentence. He had a cell mate the year before who had gossiped about Jamie Snow and recently flipped. So when the police came knocking, asking him for information, he knew just what to say. Hammond fabricated an entire relationship with Jamie, who was then a stranger to him. He took the stand, admitted he had a bad history, but said that since this was the first time he ever snitched, the jury should trust him as much as Jamie did when he confessed. This eleventh episode of Snow Files shows you exactly what the feds are willing to give, and the lengths McLean County was willing to go to to close the case.Join the Discussion: www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast
‘CSI Oakwood’ forensic students tackle real-life cases
Dayton, Ohio
By Wayne Baker, Staff Writer • May 17, 2020
“This semester in her Forensic Science II class, in addition to learning new content, students spent a lot of time studying real-life cases, many that are still actively being investigated […]
Another case that the class has spent a great deal of time on was the conviction of an Illinois man, Jamie Snow, for a 1991 murder. Snow is serving a life sentence without parole at Stateville Prison in Joliet, Illinois. He is currently being represented by the Exoneration Project out of the University of Chicago.
“I have been communicating with Jamie since November of 2019 after hearing his story on the Truth & Justice Podcast,” Wargacki said. “When I told him I was covering his case in class, he offered to answer student questions through an audio recording.”
She met with her students recently on Zoom to listen to the audio interview of Snow answering questions from the class.”
