Ihab Maslamani was described as a ‘struggling,’ ‘immature’ and yet ‘likable’ boy as he bounced from one ‘chaotic’ situation to the next in the Wayne County foster care system, according to his attorney and two adults who knew him. That boy grew into an ‘incorrigible’ teenager who committed many violent acts, culminating with a three-day […]
more than 20 years after the murder, was what tommy and ray and their family, had about lost hope they would never find. i finally got the whole story and it was like, damn. somebody seen it. somebody knew. this all made sense. it was just a matter of mistaken identity? absolutely. it just proves everything we ve said and believed for the last 25 years. john s story, which could ve disappeared forever, had it not been for mary s facebook posts and kevin s steel truck memory, now give aunt jan and all those who loved and believed in tommy unruly, new determination. the family brought in a whole new legal team. with one goal. nail down the evidence. get the brothers out of prison. attorneys jan knabb and valerie newman. i thought this case should have never been charged. a mistake happened. a mistake happened and it ended
persuading all those witnesses to testify about a moment in time so long ago, was no less difficult. knowing that, tommy and ray s family became a sort of cheering section in court. we filled up the room and we wanted to show everybody that we were there to back them up. and we just wanted to be there for them. all crowded the courtroom of judge lawrence talon, who will decide if the new evidence merited a new trial. all right, want to bring them up? finally, tommy and ray highers filed into court. the brothers who from day one insisted they were innocent, whose family never stopped believing in them, looking like just what they were. survivors of a quarter century in prison. it was pins and needles. i mean, it was our life. because if he didn t believe what he was hearing we were going right back to the state and there was never no more relief. and this was it? this was it. for sure. good morning, your honor. valerie newman, public defenders office.