Snow Files

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. Episode Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/Bonus_Ep_MIB.pdf Join this event to support Jamie Snow and collaborate on his newest media movement. Join the Facebook Event Page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/989233831516596/ Please post your video or pics of your bottles on the Facebook Event page! Watch Lesley's instructional video here: https://youtu.be/Vzi4btCk9YE 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   Truth & Justice with Bob Ruff | S7E8: Message In A Bottle: https://art19.com/shows/truth-and-justice-with-bob-ruff/episodes/6978ca5a-925a-44e1-86ea-43899cd6a14f Music Credits: B-Roll - Islandesque by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100315 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Ocean Beach - Dan Lebowitz You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOg3zLw7St5V4N7O8HSoQRA Waves Crashing on Rock Beach - YouTube Audio...

In part one of Episode 22, Jamie explained how losing a parent at a young age can impact a child’s self-perception and greatly affect their coming of age moments. But what happens to a child when the state takes a parent untimely by our own criminal justice system? What if that conviction is faulty? What are the costs to that child and their coming of age? Hear Jamie’s children answer these questions firsthand in part two of this emotional episode of Snow Files. You'll also hear from Christine Lovelace, featured in upcoming episode 23, who was also faced with the possibility of her husband being locked up for years, and their children being left behind by the system. Related Episodes: EP 22, Part 1: Jamie's Sentencing - I Got Life Interact: Join the Discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Full Episode Docs/Video/Audio: https://snowfiles.podbean.com/p/docs-by-episode/ Contact us: info@snowfiles.net Got a tip? email: tips@snowfiles.net or call 888-710-SNOW (7669) It's free and confidential Visit our website: Free Jamie Snow: http://www.FreeJamieSnow.com Sign the Petition Asking for DNA Testing: http://www.JamieSnow.net Music Credits: YouTube Audio Library: https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music Theme Song: Black Moons, The 126ers The Lone Woodlouse - Rachel K. Collier Silent Turmoil - Myuu -  Under Creative Commons License 

In this final season of Snow Files, we present alternative suspects, hearings on motions that were not previously discussed, and others who were wrongfully convicted in McLean County by the same state's attorney's office.

Thank you to our good friends Karen Brookins (BringBrookinsHome.com) and Jennifer Lopez for their assistance in making this happen! We love you both so much!Donate to Jamie's Road to Freedom Billboard here!Making an Exoneree Resources...Making an Exoneree (MaE) websiteMaE @ Georgetown UniversityMaE Documentaries on YouTubeJohn Brookins websiteJohn Brookins MaE documentaryGeorgetown University Prisons and Justice InitiativeMarty Tankleff interview on Justice Impacted with Kristine Bunch podcastMaking an Exoneree Founder Websites...Marty Howard's websiteMarty Tankleff websiteLEARN about John Brookins fight for freedom...BringBrookinsHome.comMaking an Exoneree DocumentaryUnjust and Unsolved with Maggie Freleng, Episode 11SUPPORT John Brookins fight for freedom...Sign John's petitionDonations to aid in John Brookins legal and investigative expenses are as follows:Cash App: $justice4johnny PayPal: paypal.me/freejohnny526Any Wells Fargo bank, funds can be received under: “John Brookins Fund”JPAY Donations: John Brookins - PA DOC -BW7444, SCI Phoenix

A True Crime story told by the defendant from Stateville Prison in Joliet, Illinois. An eye opening presentation of the 1991 cold case murder of Bill Little, "solved" upon the arrest of two people nearly 10 years later - one was acquitted, the other is serving life without parole. Jamie Snow is being represented by the Exoneration Project out of the University of Chicago. The podcast will reveal vital new information obtained from years of FOIA requests, over 70 audio recordings and police documents that have never been heard or seen before. An in-depth look at an incredible conviction based solely on faulty eye witness ID and jailhouse informants - no physical evidence links Jamie to the crime. Tune in March 2, 2020, as Injustice Anywhere presents the wrongful conviction of Jamie Snow and how they got away with it.

18 year old Bill Little was murdered Easter Sunday while working as a gas attendant at the Clark Oil station in Bloomington, Illinois. Nearly 10 years later, Jamie Snow was convicted of the murder and sentenced to life without parole in Stateville Prison. Jamie Snow has always maintained his innocence. In the premiere episode of Snow Files, Jamie Snow explains the crime scene in depth. You'll learn "who was where" on the night of the crime from the key perspectives of the star witness, Danny Martinez, and the two first officers on the scene, Jeff Pelo and Paul Williams. We're playing some pretty old tapes, so slap your headphones on for the best listening experience, and dive into crime night. Join the discussion here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_1.pdf

Hours after the crime, police began interviewing potential witnesses in an effort to find out who killed Bill Little. The detectives engaged in a desperate hunt for 9 years. As time went on, stories changed several times and a star witness was born, at the 11th hour. Five months before Jamie Snow’s trial, the man living next door to the gas station suddenly recalled seeing Jamie flee the scene of the crime, even though he previously chose other suspects from the line up, and even confided in a friend that it definitely wasn’t him. After a private meeting with the States Attorney, Danny Martinez pointed the finger directly at Jamie Snow. This second episode of Snow Files compares all five versions of his story against investigator and police testimony, and explains just how faulty eyewitness testimony can lead to a wrongful conviction. Join the Discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_2.pdf

The night of the crime, two witnesses spoke to police officers after realizing the gas station clerk was shot dead. Both witnesses had seen someone suspicious, but not dangerous. A boy, looking out his bedroom window, saw someone leave the gas station and turn the corner into the night. He then heard police sirens and saw an ambulance. Minutes earlier, a customer at the gas pump looked on as someone harassed the clerk inside. When he went to pay, the man shielded his face and waited at the end of the counter. The clerk was shaking, and could not talk or properly take his payment. After ten years, these witnesses took the stand. One said it was Jamie who fled into the night. The other refused, and maintained he could never identify Jamie as the man he saw harassing the clerk. This third episode of Snow Files wraps up the key witnesses from the crime scene, and exposes the elaborate reconstruction of witness testimony told to the jury, through the State’s Attorney. Join the Discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_3.pdf

In 1991, there was a string of armed robberies in McLean county and a task force formed. Jamie was implicated in a robbery he did not commit, arrested, and made to participate in a lineup for an unrelated murder. He was cleared. Charges were dropped. Nine years later, he found himself on trial, as the defendant for that murder. A detective who interviewed him about the robbery took the stand, and replaced the word “robbery,” with “murder,” for his retelling of their conversation. This fifth episode Snow Files exposes exactly where the corruption began, and shares Jamie’s deep regrets over his failed self-defense. Join the discussion at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_5.pdf

Famed private investigator, author and president of The International Association of Forensic Criminologists (IAFC), Paul Ciolino, who was instrumental in overturning the death penalty in Illinois, joins the show to discuss his expertise with wrongful convictions in Illinois. Paul provides insight into how informants are motivated to give false witness testimony, and how powers of authority allow, encourage, and actually protect informants. Paul explains the uphill battle a defendant faces while trying to reverse the damage after trial, and offers insight into how defense teams and citizens can combat these violations. This sixth episode of Snow Files explains how effective snitches were in securing Jamie’s wrongful conviction, and offers hope for Jamie’s case by highlighting the power of activism and societal awareness. Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_6.pdf Visit Paul's consultant website here: https://www.pjcinvestigations.com/ Listen to Paul Ciolino’s radio show, The Chicago POPO Report, Saturdays, from 10pm – Midnight on Chicago’s News and Talk Radio, WLS-AM 890, streaming from https://www.wlsam.com/chicago-popo-report/podcast/ Visit the International Association of Forensic Criminogists (IAFC) here: https://www.iafc-abp.org Join the discussion at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast

In 1991, a BPD task force made several arrests for a string of armed robberies. Ed Palumbo, an acquaintance of Jamie's, confessed a robbery while in jail. One month later, he told police that he knew Jamie was involved in crimes, and that he even confessed to a murder through his car window as they passed each other on the street. He later came back and said his girlfriend, Shannon Schmidt-Wallace, heard the whole conversation herself. Jamie was investigated, and it was decided that the story was fabricated. But this witness wen to prison again for may years, and a week before his released date, he was forced to retell that old story at Jamie's trial, but this time with an incredible amount of new details. His girlfriend showed up too. This seventh episode of Snow Files reveals just how much pressure it takes to get someone in prison to flip, and the creativity police and prosecutors will use to get results that can be concealed at trial.  Join the discussion at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_7.pdf

In the spring of 1991, a group of friends allegedly gathered for a house party in a neighborhood one mile west of the murder scene. Steve Scheel arrived at the home of his niece, Molly (Pfister) Esche / Eads, and within one hour, an old childhood acquaintance casually confessed to murdering a kid, while they were just catching up on life for five to ten minutes. The friend was supposedly Jamie Snow. But Jamie doesn’t even know Scheel, and he wasn’t at that party. Scheel was arrested for sex crimes later that summer, and told this story to authorities several times between his arrest, trial, and parole. And Molly even vouched for him at Jamie’s trial. This eighth episode of Snow Files shows just how easy it was for someone so desperate, to actually play catch-up on Jamie’s life. Join the discussion at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_8.pdf

In 1999, while the grand jury was hearing testimony for Jamie Snow’s indictment, a cold case detective with a vendetta started his day bright and early. He had important business to take care of with his paid informant. Detective Rick Barkes woke up Randy Howard at 5:30 AM and to check and see if Jamie told him a joke or a murder confession 8 years prior. Randy had received $500 from a lead homicide detective around the same time he supposedly heard this joke. He said he agreed to whatever this detective asked him just to make him leave. Randy Howard played the system for the next two years, telling Jamie’s jury, “if I would have known we would have ended up here today, I would have said things a lot differently […] I never, never expected to be here.” This ninth episode of Snow Files presents the value in a dollar for an informant who thinks they’ll never make it to trial. Join the Discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_9.pdf

In 1995, convicted rapist Bill Moffit was serving his lengthy sentence for a most heinous crime. While chatting with his cellmate, he learned of a precious rumor that might help him out. Some guys he knew from the world might have been involved in a robbery, and he recalled bunking with one before. He felt it was just his luck. So Bill Moffit called the cops, asked about the reward, and said that Jamie confessed to the robbery gone bad, and he just needed peace of mind. He had it so bad that he came three times, to testify in court. This tenth episode of Snow Files brings new meaning to the walk of shame. Join the discussion at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_10.pdf

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: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Episode Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_11.pdf

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: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Episode Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_12.pdf Contact us: info@snowfiles.net Got a tip? email: tips@snowfiles.net or call 888-710-SNOW (7669) It's free and confidential Visit our website: Free Jamie Snow: http://www.FreeJamieSnow.com Sign the Petition Asking for DNA Testing: http://www.JamieSnow.net Music Credits: Theme Song: Black Moons, The 126ers The Deal is Going Down, Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions The Lone Woodlouse, Rachel K. Collier

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. Episode Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_13.pdf Join the Discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Full Episode Docs/Video/Audio: https://snowfiles.podbean.com/p/docs-by-episode/ Contact us: info@snowfiles.net Got a tip? email: tips@snowfiles.net or call 888-710-SNOW (7669) It's free and confidential Visit our website: Free Jamie Snow: http://www.FreeJamieSnow.com Sign the Petition Asking for DNA Testing: http://www.JamieSnow.net Music Credits: Theme Song: Black Moons, The 126ers Dark Toys, SYBS Cat Circus, Doug Maxwell The Lone Woodlouse, Rachel K. Collier

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. Episode Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_14.pdf Join the Discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Got a tip? email: tips@snowfiles.net or call 888-710-SNOW (7669) It's free and confidential Contact us: info@snowfiles.net Visit our website: Free Jamie Snow: http://www.FreeJamieSnow.com Sign the Petition Asking for DNA Testing: http://www.JamieSnow.net Music Credits: Theme Song: Black Moons, The 126ers The Inner Sound, Jesse Gallagher MindStream: Music Quiz Show Tention - Zapsplat.com Sound Effects from: Freesound.org: - cocamycola89-fuck-you-all - pnikko_baby-crying - fail-jingle-stereo-mix - foolboymedia_game-show-theme - noah0789_crowd-oohs-and-ahhs-in-excitment - taxmanforever_card-shuffle - pyro13djt_mother-fucker - fynfyn_audience-applause-clapping

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. Episode Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_15.pdf Interact: Join the Discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Full Episode Docs/Video/Audio: https://snowfiles.podbean.com/p/docs-by-episode/ Contact us: info@snowfiles.net Got a tip? email: tips@snowfiles.net or call 888-710-SNOW (7669) It's free and confidential Visit our website: Free Jamie Snow: http://www.FreeJamieSnow.com Sign the Petition Asking for DNA Testing: http://www.JamieSnow.net Summer Support Project: A Call to Action - Message in a Bottle: https://www.facebook.com/events/989233831516596/  Music Credits: Theme Song: Black Moons, The 126ers Darkening Developments by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100267 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ The Lone Woodlouse, Rachel K. Collier

In 1999, a "self-appointed" 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 new 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. Episode Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_16.pdf Interact: Join the Discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnowFilesPodcast Full Episode Docs/Video/Audio: https://snowfiles.podbean.com/p/docs-by-episode/ Contact us: info@snowfiles.net Got a tip? email: tips@snowfiles.net or call 888-710-SNOW (7669) It's free and confidential Visit our website: Free Jamie Snow: http://www.FreeJamieSnow.com Sign the Petition Asking for DNA Testing: http://www.JamieSnow.net Summer Support Project: A Call to Action - Message in a Bottle: https://www.facebook.com/events/989233831516596/  Music Credits: YouTube Audio Library: https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music Theme Song: Black Moons, The 126ers The Von Trapp Family Choir - Alge This Little Light of Mine - E's Jammy Jams