Check out the story on false confessions in the April 2006 issue of Oprah magazine by Melba Newsome. The article tells the story of Kenzi Snyder (Melba wanted to feature a woman who falsely confessed because Oprah's readership is mainly women) and is filled with pictures of other famous false confessors including Marty Tankleff (see www.martytankleff.org), Michael Crowe and Bruce Godschalk.
News flash -- Despite the fact that an 18 year old confessed in some detail to the murder of 8 year old Amy Yates in Georgia, a crime for which a 12 year old boy had previously been convicted, authorities refuse to reopen the case. DNA testing on hairs found on the victim did not implicate the 18 year old (or the 12 year old for that matter) and the Carrolton Sheriff's Office is claiming that the 18 year old was mentally disabled and was mistaken about some of the details. This is not the last you will hear of this case. The 18 year old was at the girl's home earlier in the day, confessed to his pastor (a former detective), his parents, and even to Amy's father, describing how he and a friend were watching pornography, he noticed Amy, lured her into the woods, tried to assault her, and then strangled her when she started to scream. The 12 year old, now 15, is serving time in a juvenile correction facility. His confession was an admission that he accidentally bumped into the girl and fell on top of her. It was a reluctant confession, dragged out of him after interrogators screamed at him (outside the presence of his parents), called him a liar, and plied him with promises of leniency and threats of harm. Could this be a case of law enforcement tunnelvision or is the 18 year old's story really not worthy of belief. Stay tuned...
