Eddie was questioned at the police station. That night Eddie had his BB Gun. The investigation by the police discovered that Farmer Jim was killed with a rifle. The police obtained a search warrant, a legal document authorizing a police officer to enter and search a premise. While conducting a search the Eddie’s bedroom a rifle was discovered in the closet. Eddie was arrested for murder. Eddie was then sentenced to life in prison for murder.
Eddie declared his innocents to anyone that would listen. The jury had declared Eddie guilty of Murder. Eddie was devastated. He was facing prison and no one to take care of his family. Eddie was innocent but did not know how to prove it. Carol cried herself to sleep at night waiting for Eddie to come home. Carol was not old enough to understand what was happening. She only knew Eddie was not home and she wanted him there.
Eddie attended church every Sunday. Ms. Daisy a Chapel Volunteer can every Sunday afternoon. Eddie began to befriend Ms. Daisy. She reminded Eddie of his mother. Eddie began talking to her about his family. Eddie told her how his father died when he was 12 years old. His mother was blind, and he had a little sister named Carol that depended on him. Daisy began to feel sorry for Eddie. She promised Eddie that the family would not go hungry. He told Daisy that he was in the field stealing food to feed his family. He was trying to kill a rabbit with his BB Gun. He never intended to kill Mr. Jim. Ms. Daisy started asking him more questions about the BB Gun.
Ms. Daisy was convinced that it was impossible for Eddie to kill farmer Jim with his BB Gun. Ms. Daisy reached out to a church in the neighborhood that Eddie had lived in. Ms. Daisy sent money to the church every month. The church provided food to his mother. Eddie was sad and missing his family. One of the other inmates introduced Eddie to marijuana. Eddie smoked the marijuana and experienced a high for the first time.
Marijuana can have drastically different effects from one person to the next. People report feeling happy or relaxed. People report laughter, altered time and sensory perception, and increased appetite. The active ingredient in marijuana is THC. When you smoke marijuana, THC enters your bloodstream via your lungs. It is concentration in the blood peak within minutes. Eventually THC is broken down and excreted in urine and stool. Since you blood concentration of THC changes over time, it is possible to experience various stages of being high. The Marijuana made Eddie feel happy. He was no longer worried about providing for his family. The feeling allowed Eddie to escape reality for a little while.
Inmate Ronnie the one that introduced him to marijuana was released from prison. Ronnie and Eddie remained friends. Ronnie told Eddie about money he made selling marijuana in prison. Ronnie agreed to supply the marijuana for Eddie to sale for a cut of the profit. Ronnie began by sending Eddie a photograph album. The front and back cover of the photograph album was removed. Ronnie cut a square in the cardboard and placed marijuana in it. Ronnie then glued the covers back together with the marijuana in it. He then used plastic wrap and a match to seal the photograph album. It looked like it was factory sealed. Ronnie used a fake address and mailed the Photograph album to Eddie.
When Eddie received the photograph album the staff at the prison did not search it because it was factory sealed. Eddie sold the marijuana to other inmates. The inmate’s family would send money to his mother with a money order. When the money order was received the inmate would receive the Marijuana. Eddie along with Ms. Daisy was providing for his family. The money Eddie had sent would buy clothes and other items needed around the house. Ms. Daisy was sending money to the church to provide them with food. Eddie was now able to take care of his family while being in prison.
Ms. Daisy believed that Eddie did not kill Jim and recommended that he work in the Law Library. Eddie started working in the Law Library to learn about the law. Eddie wanted to clear his name and be released from prison. Somehow, he had to find out who really killed Jim. Someone wanted Jim dead. Years had passed Carol was in second grade now. Eddie started writing letter to the family. He began asking questions about things in the neighborhood. Jim’s wife Anna had started coming to visit his mother every week. She continued to ask about Eddie. Everyone in the neighborhood visited with the family. They helped provide food for the family.
Eddie had talked to Ms. Daisy about the farmer Anna visiting with his mother every week. Ms. Daisy could not understand why Anna was not angry with Eddie. He killed her husband. Ms. Daisy decided to take a trip and visit the church that she had been sending the money to. She told Eddie about her plan to visit the church. Eddie asked her if she would take a rose to his mother and a doll to Carol for him.
Ms. Daisy arrived at the church for Sunday morning service. Everyone welcomed her with open arms. The people at the church did not know that she was the one sending the money. Eddie had described to her what Anna looked like. Daisy sit beside Anna in the country church. Daisy began talking to Anna. Daisy explained that she was new and town and did not know anyone. She had lost her husband a couple of years ago to a heart attack. Anna invited Daisy over for dinner. While at dinner Daisy started talking about how she loved her husband and missed him. Anna told Daisy about her husband being shot. During the conversation Anna showed no compassion for Daisy.
Ms. Daisy knew something was going on with Anna. But how would she ever find out. She was new in town and a stranger. Daisy only had three days she could spend in town before she had to return home. Daisy went to the Flower Shop and bought a red rose, and a Raggedy Ann doll. Raggedy Ann is a rag doll with red yarn for hair and a triangle nose.Ms. Daisy delivered the rose and Raggedy Ann doll as she promised Eddie. Carol cried and asked Ms. Daisy to take the doll back and bring her Eddie home. Ms. Daisy was speechless and did not know what to say.
Ms. Daisy returned home. She could not wait until Sunday to see Eddie and tell him his mother and Carol were doing fine. Ms. Daisy knew she had to help Eddie get out of prison and return to Carol. Ms. Daisy did not tell Eddie about Carol wanting her to return the doll and bring Eddie home. She knew it would hurt Eddie to know that Carol was crying for him. She told Eddie that his mother loved the rose, and Carol loved the doll. Daisy had begun to feel for Eddie like a son. He had been wrongly convicted of a crime he could not have committed. Ms. Daisy hired a private investigator Mr. Holmes. She was determined to help Eddie prove his innocence. Mr. Holmes made a special visit to the prison to see Eddie. Special visits are usually when an inmate’s visitor has been denied on the visiting application. It is a visit that must be approved by the warden upon receiving a written request that may allow him to consider overturning the initial reason for denial and allow you a special
Eddie was devastated when he was informed by the Chaplain that little Carol had been diagnosed with influenza.Eddie requested to be allowed to see little Carol. The Warden of the institution allowed Eddie to see Carol, but he had to be in the custody of law enforcement and the family had to pay all expenses.Eddie knew his family did not have the money for him to see Carol. Sunday when Eddie went to church, he talked to Ms. Daisy. Ms. Daisy had become like a second mother to him. Eddie cried as he longed to see Carol. He knew if he could see her everything would be all right. He could comfort her. Carol needed him now more than ever. Ms. Daisy called the Warden and asked what needed to be done for Eddie to see Carol. Mr. Holmes collaborated with the Sheriff department in Decatur County. Ms. Daisy arranged for Mr. Holmes to take Eddie to see Carol.Mr. Holmes and Ms. Daisy picked Eddie up from the prison and took him to see Carol. Eddie was granted a two-day furlo
Mr. Holmes wondered if the four men that talked to Jim that morning were same ones that ended up dead. Sam the farmer, Tony the banker, Jack a moonshiner, and Carl the bootlegger. The investigation continued. Sam the farmer was killed with a rifle. Tony the banker was burned in the barn. Jack a moonshiner was killed with the explosion of the still. Carl the bootlegger was killed by drinking tainted whiskey. All of them were connected to the moonshine ring. Tony the banker provided loans to the moonshiners to buy the corn and the farmer for land and equipment. Jack the moonshiner produces the moonshine. Carl the bootlegger delivered the moonshine. Sam the farmer started planning corn. There had to be a connection. Who wanted all of them dead?Tony the banker was working at the bank. He had financial control over the entire county. All the money was in the bank. He held the keys to success and failure. What often happened, farmers borrowed money from banks to buy more land or n
Ms. Daisy bought Mr. Holmes an abandoned farmhouse on the other end of town. She would do anything to help Eddie to get out of jail. The farmhouse needed repairs. The farmland was small, but it would work for planting corn. Mr. Holmes worked on his all during the winter. The spring was approaching, and Mr. Holmes wanted to plant corn in the field. Mr. Holmes believed the corn is what connection between the two deaths together. Both farmers had visitor the day they were killed. Both were killed at dark with a rifle.Mr. Holmes went to the seed store and purchased enough seed to plant an acre of corn. That was not much. All the other farmers in the community were scared to plant corn. Mr. Holmes was the only one to plant corn. He only hoped his plan worked to clear Eddie. He wanted Eddie to be returned home to Carol. Carol was a wonderful little girl. She had fully recovered him the flue. Mr. Holmes and Ms. Daisy wanted to see the look on Carol’s face when Eddie returned.
Eddie was born in a poor family. His mother was blind, and his father worked doing odd jobs in the community. His father Bo would take Eddie with him when he would steal. It all started with sealing food to feed the family. They would steal food out of farmers’ fields. Bo would always say “It’s okay they have plenty and will never miss it.” Eddie was twelve years old when Bo died. He felt it was his responsibility to provide for the family. When things would be tight Eddie would steal food out the farmers’ fields and sale it on side of the road. He lived in a farming community. There was always food available to be stolen. He would wait until the peanut farmer turned over the peanuts. The farmer would leave the peanuts in the field to dry before taking them to the market to sale.Eddie went back at the beginning of darkness, sneak into the fields, and load his wagon with peanuts. He would always get the ones close by the road and near his house.