Weather
Were Four Native Teens Wrongly Convicted of Murder?The Tanana Chief Conference believes that Marvin Roberts, George Frese, Eugene Vent and Kevin Pease were wrongly convicted for the murder of John Hartman.Related Content
The Tanana Chiefs Conference is offering a reward for information leading to the exoneration of the four young Alaska natives convicted for the murder of John Hartman. Hartman was 15 years old when he was found beaten and stomped to death in downtown Fairbanks on Oct. 11, 1997. The TCC believes that Marvin Roberts, George Frese, Eugene Vent and Kevin Pease were wrongly convicted for the murder. Today at a press conference, members of TCC announced they would give $5,500 for information that would pardon the four men. TCC Chief President Jerry Isaac said he only recently become convinced of the men’s innocence. "When the university did a case study on it and found that there was some convincing inaccuracies that needed to be revisited, from then on, I felt it was wrong to incarcerate these four people," Isaac said. The four men are currently serving between 33 and 79 years at a Colorado prison for their conviction in the murder case. |
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled.
Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
|
You have indicated this comment should be removed.
The comment has been submitted for review. Thank you .
Fundraiser for Alaska Innocence said on Tuesday, Aug 2 at 7:37 PM
Fundraiser On August 20th there will be an all-ages concert at the David Salmon Tribal Hall at 111 Clay Street to benefit the Alaska Innocence Project and to further their efforts to seek justice in the 1997 beating death of John Hartman. Admission will be $10 at the door, and local bands Mar Brown and the Blues Crew and Sweating Honey will both be playing. Doors open at 6pm. For more information about the Alaska Innocence Project visit their website at http://www.alaskainnocence.org/ For more information, transcripts of interrogation, and access to the 7-part article series about the Hartman case visit http://www.uafjournalism.com/extreme/Hartman/index.html Anonymous
71718429April said on Friday, May 27 at 9:11 AM
Perhaps all of you should read the actual case files. Not one of these four ever confessed. After hours of interrogation than can be summed up as, "I know you only kicked this guy once, admit it or you will get framed for rape and murder" one drunk kid agreed that he kicked someone and asked to please go home. These four weren't even together that night. In a crime where someone was kicked to death you would think that there would be some blood on the suspects, but there is literally no physical evidence in this case. These boys were convicted of walking downtown while Native, and their conviction and continued incarceration is a testament to the mind blowing kind of racism Fairbanks lives with. These four men are innocent. No evidence, no motivation, corrupt interrogation, b.s. trials. They are guilty of being drunk and Native, which in Fairbanks is apparently an unforgivable sin. Seriously, read the interrogations and decide for yourself if any "reject" admitted to this crime.
67850982Anonymous said on Thursday, May 26 at 9:55 AM
Endub- Its good to see that there are still decent people like you out there
67785611Endub said on Wednesday, May 25 at 9:14 AM
Why don't you convict Cris Stone for his involvement also then if you want to get technical about this case. I know everyone involved in this case, all 4 of these rejects addmitted openly to killing John and Kevin was the most proud of all but now that all 4 of them have been turned into prison house wives they wanna cry about let me out boo hoo you friggin murderous leaches. Check the tattoos they are not remorseful for what they did at all, freese wasn't remoreseful the night johns brother got a a half second to tear into him in the jail hall before the guards came to save his scary a$#. You offer 5,500 for the help of there release then fine IM offerin 4 X .45 shells for the day they walk out the door! Communitys don't forget, friends and family never forget!
67711567Rudy Bagonia said on Tuesday, May 24 at 11:06 PM
Can't beleive you're bowing to the pressure, they're getting there just reward. How about Hartman?
67684741Add a comment
Most Popular