Book Excerpt Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz One Day Before Freedom

One day before freedom:
I got back up in my bunk and pondered the many questions that plagued my mind. When I awoke to the jangle of keys in the door, I realized that I must have dozed off for a while. The guard said that there were some people there to see me. I followed him to the visiting room.
As I turned to enter, I saw a beautiful young woman standing in front of me. In a split second, I realized that this radiant woman with the beautiful smile was Elizabeth. My blessed mother was standing by her side. An uncontrollable feeling welled up in my chest and I began to cry. In that very same visiting room years earlier I had last seen Elizabeth as a young girl.

Now she was grown up. She looked so much like her mother. We stood for a moment, uncertain about what to do as we stared at each other, our faces quivering with emotion. Then we lunged into each other’s arms, embracing each other with every ounce of emotion that had been locked away inside us for the past twelve years.

With our hearts, minds, and bodies united, we embraced for what seemed like a lifetime—the lifetime that we had been cheated out of.
“Daddy, you are going home tomorrow,” Elizabeth said, her voice trembling. I could feel her hot tears falling on my neck and shoulders. “I’ve missed you and love you so much, Dad.”

Page 447
Excerpt from "Journey Toward Justice" by Dennis Fritz Copyright © 2006 by Seven Locks Press.
Excerpted by permission of Seven Locks Press All rights reserved.
No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Book Excerpt Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz: Confession to Smith and Rogers

Where the Ada Detectives' Smith and Rogers last chance, fully heated interrogation, began in the Kansas City Police Department. Just following Dennis Fritz's arrest, 5 years after the murder of Debbie Sue Carter, detectives, utilizing their Mutt and Jeff tactics, attempting to gain their long sought after confession.
From pages 37,38,39

Smith sat silently, his uncomfortable eyes trained on mine.


Rogers suddenly turned from my direct line of vision and walked back across the room. He removed his Stetson hat and set it on top of his closed briefcase. Rolling up his shirt sleeves, as if to tell me it was time to get into the ring, he bluntly said, "We have filed the death penalty on you in a bill of particulars, and we are going to make it stick." Walking closer to me in a cat-like fashion, he persisted by saying, "Did you hear me, Dennis? We have filed the death penalty on you, and we definitely have enough good evidence on you to send you to lethal injection." Stepping nearer to me in breath-close range, he added in a higher-pitched tone, "It took me five whole years but we have got the goods on you, and our evidence is strong."

Finally, leaning even closer, he repeatedly jabbed his forefinger into my breastbone, over-emphasizing each and every word as his lips spat, "We are going to kill you for what you did, and there is nothing that you can do about it. We have a solid case of murder in the first degree against you, so get it off your chest, Fritz, and be the man we think you are. You need to realize that we have been working in this field for a long time now, and both of us understand how someone might get to drinking and let things get out of control. We know from other cases we've solved that murdering someone in the heat of the moment is a lot easier than someone might think. So get it off your chest, Fritz, and tell us how it really happened."

Without a flicker of apprehension, I blurted out, I didn't kill anyone, and I don't know anything about what you're talking about. If you want to try to kill me, then go ahead. I'm not scared of anything you can do to me because I am an innocent person!"

The veins in Roger's neck protruded as he roared, "Fritz, we haven't got time for these games and your lies. Make it easy on yourself and confess, right now!"

"Yes!" I shrieked. "Yes, I will confess at this time."
Smith bolted from his chair and left the room. There was silence. If a pin had dropped, it would have sounded like a sledgehammer hitting the floor. Rogers waited for Smith to return.

When he came back, he carried a small tape recorder in his porky hands. He hastily set the recorder on the table, plugged it in, and switched it on. His sudden movements were in contrast to his earlier placid performance.

Now it was his turn in the ring as he instructed me: "Dennis, this won't take long, and we can get this all cleared up here in a few minutes. As you have surely guessed, we are here to help you out,and your honesty in the form of a confession will keep you off of death row. Now Dennis, tell us exactly how it happened."

I looked at the recorder with its wheels spinning silently and then candidly exclaimed to the detectives, "Okay, I'm going to give you my confession. It's the whole truth in every way and I am not going to leave anything out. Here it is: I am an innocent man and have never in my life killed anyone, and furthermore, I am not going to confess to a murder that I didn't do or know nothing about. What do you guys take me for - a complete imbecile?"

Both detectives' faces flushed red. Rogers angrily wrenched his body around and stomped across the room. He snatched up his Stetson, put it on his head, and said with great resentment, "Fritz, we are tired of fooling around with you. You are not funny. If you want to die on the lethal injection table, that is your decision." Turning towards Smith, Rogers remarked with disgust, "If you would like to talk to him any further, then you can stay. I am going back to the hotel and get comfortable while Fritz suffers with these lies.

"Okay, Gary. I'll meet you back at the room in an hour."

Rogers stormed out.

After several minutes, Smith spoke. "Dennis, we don't really believe that you murdered Debbie Carter."

Because his glare seemed to invite a response, I challenged him by asking, "If you guys don't think I committed the murder, then why have I been charged?"

Smith scooted his chair slightly closer to me as he whispered,
"We don't think you were the aggressor in this. We strongly believe that Williamson did the actual killing and was the more aggressive one in the rape and murder. We believe that you were there and Williamson
put you in a position to participate in the rape but not the murder.
Fritz, I can help you out if you talk to me. As a matter of fact, both Gary and I don't think that you're the kind of guy that would be capable of outright murder. On the other hand , we know that Williamson is. We believe you were there and that is just as bad as
you committing the murder yourself. Dennis, we dug up Debbie Carter's body body and what we found proves that you were there and participated in the murder."

"Smith, I've heard enough of your bullshit. I've told you both over and over that I didn't commit no murder, so take me to my cell.
I'm not going to put up with your crazy insinuations no more. I am ready to go!.

"Have it your way, Fritz, I really hate to see you fall for a capital murder that you did not fully commit. Will you talk to me tomorrow before we leave?"

Excerpted from Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz Copyright © 2006 by Seven Locks Press. Excerpted by permission of Seven Locks Press All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Book Excerpt "Journey Toward Justice" Dennis Fritz Remembers Ronnie Williamson

Dennis Fritz met Ronnie Williamson July 1981
Book excerpt from Dennis Fritz's book "Journey Toward Justice" about that time.

"I'm more than ready, Ronnie Keith. Let's get out of here and find out where it's happenin'."
As we drove past the high-rise dorms, Ronnie said, "Pull over there, Dennie Leon, and let's check that basketball game out."
What's the deal? I thought you wanted to check out another club and get some of those pretty babes. Isn't that what you said?" Watching a men's basketball game outdoors was the last thing I wanted to do when there was a possibility of meeting a couple of nice looking gals. But I pulled over and allowed Ronnie his request.
Ronnie got out of the car and retrieved his guitar from the backseat. I stayed in the driver's seat and watched as he approached the basketball court. with his guitar strapped around his neck. I was reluctant to join him. I didn't want to interfere with the game. Secondly, all of the players were black and I didn't know how they would react if two white guys, especially one in a double-breasted suit strumming his guitar and singing, walked up and watched their game.
Ronnie got closer to the court, I got the feeling I should be a little closer to him in case something happened, and I moved my car so that it was thirty yards away from the court. I got out and leaned against the front fender,hoping there would be no confrontations. That was the last thing I needed - to have my ass beaten to a pulp.
By the time Ronnie made it to court's edge, all of the ballplayers had turned their heads and were eyeing him suspiciously, but kept playing, and so did he. They did not seem to be overly distracted by him, even when he started walking up and down the sidelines, playing his guitar and doing a musical play-by play commentary of the game.
Vivid images formed in my mind as to what the players' reactions would be, and I braced for the worst. Instead of becoming annoyed or bent out of shape, however, the players became more aggressive and appeared more confident in their abilities. I would never dreamed of a better outcome. Minutes later, Ronnie walked up to the car to get another beer.
Shortly thereafter, the game broke up and five of the players came over to us, extending their hands to congratulate Ronnie for his fine tuned commentator's skills. Ronnie wasted no time. He introduced himself as a criminal attorney from Dallas. All eyes were fixed on him as he eloquently pontificated about his legal expertise: "I am so proud to be here tonight in the presence of such a fine group of aspiring, athletically inclined young men. I am adorned with recourse to politically facilitate to you the most intricate and highly publicized interactions within the law. Needless to say, you fine young men are representative of an enterprise that travels in a circle around the globe without the due respect or favor from our prospective and highly enlightened judicial capacities. I have traveled here today to give birth to a astute relaxation but nevertheless to promulgate the truth and formidable destruction tendering the inflexibilities within our crowned judicial system. It is my great pleasure and reward to bestow upon your personage the wonderfully wet and abundantly flavorful substance existing in a chilled bottle of beer."
With eyes wide and mouths agape, the players nodded their heads up and down in mesmerized fascination. They didn't realize that Ronnie had just offered them a beer. I had not said a word up to this point - not because I didn't want to but because trying to get a word in edgewise while Ronnie was talking was nearly impossible. When he stopped talking for a moment to take a drink, I introduced myself myself as Ronnie's friend and asked the players if they would like a beer.
"Sure man, that would be great. We really worked up a sweat playin'ball," one of the guys answered.
While Ronnie walked around the car to get the guys more beer, the tallest ballplayer stepped slightly forward and asked me, "Say man, this cat is really on fire. Is he a good lawyer down there in Dallas"?
I didn't want to perpetuate something that was not true but I didn't want to expose Ronnie as a fake, so I said. "I haven't known Ronnie very long but I know that he considers himself to be a very good attorney."
Ronnie handed out cold beers to everyone and for the next thirty minutes did ninety-nine percent of the talking. The ballplayers were thoroughly impressed with him. Of course, in Ronnie's mind this was nothing more than just having a good time, with no intention of doing any harm or causing any misgivings. On the other hand, there was a strong possibility that at that moment Ronnie himself believed that he was an attorney from Dallas.
That, then was how I remembered Ronnie.......

From pages 21,22 and part 23
Excerpted from Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz Copyright © 2006 by Seven Locks Press. Excerpted by permission of Seven Locks Press All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Book Excerpt From Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz

Book Excerpt From Journey Toward Justice Author Dennis Fritz
Book Foreword Barry Scheck The Innocence Project

When Dennis Fritz testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of the Innocence Protection Act - legislation that ultimately passed that supports efforts to get post-conviction DNA testing for those claiming innocence - I actually saw tears in the eyes of worldly politicians who for decades had heard an endless stream of moving stories from multitude of witnesses. Among them were Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat from Vermont and the legislation's sponsor and great champion, and Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican from Utah. Indeed, Senator Hatch said with unmistakable sincerity that he was humbled by what Dennis had to say. I thought that phrase deftly captured what everyone was feeling - a sense of awe that this man could survive and recount his incredible, hair-raising life story passionately, modestly, and thoughtfully all at once. And what a life story it is - the literary equivalent to the wildest hardest-of-hard luck, happiest-of-happy-endings country-and-western song one could imagine. It is a yarn that Hank Williams at his darkest and brightest and on LSD could not have conjured. The wrongful conviction, as you shall see, is only part of the story.
Excerpted from Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz Copyright © 2006 by Seven Locks Press. Excerpted by permission of Seven Locks Press All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.