i said, james, make it right. i got excited. i felt like once this come out, that ed would be free. gilliam said the testimony that i gave in these prior trials was false. that he made up this story to try to get better treatment for himself on his criminal sentence. gilliam would go on to state that the only thing elmore had ever said was that he didn t kill dorothy edwards. but diana s team also felt they needed to refute dorothy edwards time of death which the medical examiner had placed on saturday night during the only hours elmore had no alibi. diana hired forensic expert jonathan arden. in my opinion the victim died in the early afternoon on sunday. that time frame makes sense with the rigor mortis, the lack of decomposition. but when the state medical examiner was asked, why did you recommend that the time of death be 65 hours prior to the time of
by 1995, diana was ready to present evidence pointing to edward elmore s innocence to a state court in south carolina. the goal was to get a new trial for elmore. diana would be joined by chris jensen for what would be her first hearing as a lawyer. she was very fierce. she had not the slightest doubt about eddie elmore s innocence. she was determined to make sure that i did my job. the state was represented by donald zelenka, who reportedly once argued that women who had abortions in the third trimester could be executed for murder. and elmore s fate would be decided by judge ernest kinard. one of the first witnesses called was james gilliam, the inmate who said elmore confessed to him in jail. but in the small town of greenwood, both elmore and gilliam new bishop spearman. and before the hearing, gilliam told spearman the truth. james gilliam and i go back i
guess all our life. one night he called me and he told me i lied and my conscience is bothering me. gilliam said he made a deal with the prosecutor to testify against elmore in exchange for release from prison. but with elmore facing the electric chair, he felt bad what he had done. i said james, make it right. and i got excited. i felt like once this comes out that ed would be free. gilliam said the testimony that i gave in these prior trials was false. that he made up this story to try to get better treatment for himself on his criminal sentence. gilliam would go on to state that the only thing elmore had ever said was that he didn t kill dorothy edwards. but diana s team also felt they needed to refute dorothy edwards time of death which the medical examiner had placed on saturday night during the only hours elmore had no alibi. diana hired forensic expert jonathan arden. in my opinion the victim died in the early afternoon on sunday. that time frame makes sense with the
when dna was available, it came back positive that it was the victim s blood. prosecutors also told the jury that dozens of elmore s pubic hairs were found on dorothy s bed. and finally, prosecutors presented james gilliam, a prison inmate who claimed to hear elmore confess while he was in jail. that came out of nowhere. that just rocked me. mr. rockmore told gilliam that i went down there and robbed that lady, and she started screaming and i killed her. that was the lynchpin. the jury took less than five hours to reach a verdict. elmore was convicted and sentenced to death. but the conviction was overturned on appeal. there was one juror who was reluctant to impose the death penalty. and the trial judge went into the jury room and put pressure on the holdout juror to impose the death sentence. a new trial was ordered. same prosecutor, same defense attorneys, same outcome. a third trial was held to reconsider the sentence and
back positive that it was the victim s blood. prosecutors also told the jury that dozens of elmore s pubic hairs were found on dorothy s bed. and finally, prosecutors presented james gilliam, a prison inmate who claimed to hear elmore confess while he was in jail. that came out of nowhere. that just rocked me. mr. rockmore told gilliam that i went down there and robbed that lady, and she started screaming and i killed her. that was the lynchpin. the jury took less than five hours to reach a verdict. elmore was convicted and sentenced to death. but the conviction was overturned on appeal. there was one juror who was reluctant to impose the death penalty. and the trial judge went into the jury room and put pressure on the holdout juror to impose the death sentence.