Love Behind Bars: Michaela's Journey With Her Death Row Fiancé (Prison Documentary) | Real Stories

[Music] hello this is a free call from Jody Lee miles an inmate at Maryland Correctional adjustment Center you may start the conversation now I'm just about to get in the B so I'm going to put you on loud speaker okay okay now what you got to say you going to shave your hair man like I sure am phone calls are Michaela's entire relationship with her fianceé as for the last 12 years he has been on death row in Baltimore USA they've been together for nearly 2 years I like him to hear the hot running water I like him to hear the bubbles the the Pham going in and he can hear me playing about with the w from making it all nice and fluffy just especially for me and as long as he's on the phone he can hear what I'm doing I'm bringing him into the real world which is something is not had in 1998 jod Lee miles was found guilty of murdering Edward Joseph Atkinson by shooting him in the back of the head jod claimed he acted in self-defense he was acquitted of premeditated murder but convicted of first-degree felony murder and sentenced to death Michaela also believes that her fiance acted in self-defense I don't class jod as a murderer I class him as somebody in the wrong place at the wrong time but having said that doesn't make it right for what he's done and to be honest with you I I really really do feel for the victim's family he regrets what he's done so we work through that we talk about it we if there's anything we could do if there was anything anything we could do for the victim's family believe you me I I would make sure he did it but we [Music] can't Michaela is 43 years old and a divorced mother of three she's currently unemployed but spends most of her time campaigning against the death penalty my Fascination began when I looked online and I saw a botched execution and I saw that this poor man suffered drastically and I I just couldn't understand the laws in America that they actually allow this to happen I thought to myself I want to get involved in this I need to get involved in this I don't believe in an eye for eye and a too for too and they say that's in the Bible I am very sorry that is just plain stupid nobody has the right to take in a one's life I actually looked at the pro death sites and I saw what they were saying then I came across somebody all on their own trying to fight these people off and thought you poor car you're doing it all on your own and I really felt sorry and they were lashing out to this particular person and I just thought that was wrong this made Michaela get involved further with the death penalty and she began writing to three inmates one of them was 38-year-old jod Lee miles I found Jodie from um a friend of mine's website called pimp house behind bars and at first I thought he W the full ticket because he he used to write things about food because he's got this thing about food and that's great with me because I can talk about food till like the cows come home what sort of things he would eat and what sort of things I would eat so that was our letters basically it was about food Michaela's had difficult relationships with men in the past and when she began writing to Jodie the last thing she was looking for was a romance but a few months after they began corresponding jod wanted to be more than just friends okay I'll be honest now when when he wrote a letter um saying things I stopped writing and he thought he'd done something wrong and I I knew that I I couldn't I couldn't leave him in limbo as if you know he's done something because he hadn't done anything it was me that thought to myself oh god I've given him and I'd read about this you know loving a prisoner loving a deathro inmate and all that but to be honest with you I didn't think it would happen to me although it's not something I'm proud of it does happen and it's not a bad thing 6 months into Taylor and Jody's relationship they had their first phone conversation all prisons have different rules on inmates using the phone and Michaela and Jodie are able to speak to each other every day it's allowed them to get to know one another very well I've got something to tell you what don't be angry now what it was Des spare of the moment thing I had a tattoo done no you didn't I did so no you really it's really hurting where is it that's why I'm really agitated across me forehead where do you think it is on my right chest no you didn't I did you won't show your ass to a doctor you going to try and tell me if you got your your boob tattoo you are so full ofar swear on my life I think did you you know one day you spit it out I'm only winding you up you idiot Michaela and Jodie can carry on like this for ages she got such a weird sense of humor in mind that it just I find it hilarious she'll wait till somebody gets around here and then she'll tell me get on your knees and yo I'm your or something and if put the smile on her face makes her happy why not oh shut up for God's sake moaning well I want him up because it keeps him on his toes it makes him more wary of what I'm going to come out with next if he gets up he's in a foul mood or he's in a bad mood doesn't take me long to get snap him out of it I've never felt this much secure with somebody that I can talk just quite openly about any think you have one minute left are you doing happy dance now yeah I'm doing happy dance all around the in all around the sleeping room I can't wait to get off the phone cuz you're boring mate to tears no phone Tex for you you got to be acting like that that's it that's none I love you but you're not get no phone sex tonight that's it every time the phone says one minute left mod will get a little L cuz I don't know if the phone going to work again I don't know if you know her phone's going to work again so as that going be the last call for even a while even to day that's how much I look forward to just hearing her voice again even if she's angry it just means that much to me she means that much to me and I love her with all that I am phone access allows Michaela and Jodie to have a more interactive relationship than they could with just letters but constantly waiting in for the phone to R can make Michaela feel like she's a prisoner in her own home I remember I was promised it never Happ you'll get you'll get them when I'm ready that's what you said 400 years ago oh for God's sake don't keep on at me there people do have a lifespan right yeah yes and I have a lifespan too I've had [Music] enough it gets me so angry at times I do feel trapped it's like sometimes I don't want to go out just in in case I miss his call just in case Something's Happened in there and I basically live here 24/7 I go out to do my shopping and that's only for like 20 minutes half an hour so I'm back in time just so I can get his call but then I've got a counter on my phone so I can see if I go out how many times CU that's the first thing I focus on as soon as I come home I go straight to the counter and see how many Miss calls I've got but I've chose this nobody's pushed me into doing this I've done it all by [Music] myself Michaela is dedicated to Jodie and often lives her life on American time she goes to bed after her last phone call with him at 2:45 a.m. and gets up around 1 p.m. but her main priority is being a mom her two daughters 12-year-old Emma and 22-year-old Fiona both live at home my children always come first if it means the children are going to get hurt then I wouldn't do it despite putting her children first Michaela couldn't bring herself to tell her girls that she was in love with a man on death row she said that jod works on a farm and in his pictures he's in fancy [Music] dress Michaela and her death row fiance have been romantically involved for almost 2 years Michaela did tell her two daughters that she was involved with Jodie but she couldn't bring herself to tell them he's in prison I didn't think it was fair to tell the kids that I was actually talking to somebody on death row who in their right mind writes to people on death row is all I get thinking to myself and for my kids to know that I was actually writing to someone not just writing to them but also talking to them um I just didn't think they they needed to know Michaela's youngest daughter 12-year-old Emma began speaking to jod around a year ago uh I'm trying to think of a joke oh yeah my mate told me one the other day he goes um you um you're so dumb you fell over a wireless control and I said I don't I went to him I don't get it and he goes well that's cuz you're blonde I thought it's not funny you didn't get it no I didn't get it they laugh and joke and talk about stupid things but it makes him laugh and she laughs as well to begin with I didn't think it would come to my kids getting involved um even speaking to him but I just thought it would be okay I didn't I didn't see any wrong in it and I still don't I tell him my jokes um as I used to sing to him um and we just we tell jokes about Mom and say what we're going to do when he comes and it's just pry funny she's my little tat you know she wants to get on the phone and and she likes to wind me up and she likes to tell me jokes and wants me to tell her jokes all the time and I try and give her you know my opinion on things and she thinks it's funny you know I don't know why I guess because we have the same mentality I don't know but I yeah I think the world about despite Emma speaking regularly on the phone to Jodie up until just one week ago she and her sister believed he worked on a farm M well I used to go to Upstate New York and um I said that's where I met him so that's the first lie well I told him that he was a farmer and he also did radio shows but the thing with Emma is she kept asking well when's he going to come and visit when's he going to come and visit and I said oh when he finishes his work so it's it's that that was a lie I knew it was going to come out in the end but it needed to come out Michaela's eldest daughter 22-year-old Fiona did have a suspicion that jod is in prison well this is the actual picture that got me into trouble because he's actually got a waist chain on with a handcuff to his to the front and the first thing I thought of was fancy dress basically I said you got to be joking he can't be in H CS all around the house like the same picture just you really that excuse would work with a three-year-old I'm not three I felt like she had betrayed me a bit because she lied to me about it in the first place and it didn't make me want to trust anything she said after that I did feel relief once I told them um but I also felt like the dishonesty it was eating it was eat eating away at me but and I didn't realize it and when I did tell them I I felt better for telling them but I also felt I wish I'd told them sooner Fiona is struggling to come to terms with her mom lying to her she also finds it difficult that Michaela is in a relationship with a man on death row why didn't you say say why can't we talk why should I have to but then why should I have to cuz you're the mother but this is not a mother and daughter relationship Fiona no but like you have to try and work at it because I've brought somebody in that you know nothing about that you've got the biggest opportunity ever to ask me about I'm here what I want to know is what are you going to do um if he does get executed [Music] Ed what would you do after that what would I do after [Music] that I don't think we should really talk about that sort of thing yeah but it's something I want to know I don't need to go down the road of the executions right okay but I was asking you a question you don't remember no I don't I don't want to listen to that you know that goes over my head that is there Fiona if you knew the amount of people that I know now that's being executed you wouldn't even want to go there yourself you'd be a mental rck but I don't know that's the thing exactly and you don't want to know [Music] if anything bad was happened to Jody I feel like we would all suffer because she her life is dedicated to this if he was to be executed then I think not only mom's like passion would die but inside she'll die I think my mom would take it really [Music] badly Michaela's relationship with jod has put a real strain on her home life and she's prepared to go through all this for a man she's never seen despite being together for almost 2 years and speaking on the phone Michaela and Jodie have never actually met well it's going to change very soon uh so I'm going off to see him very shortly and I'm really looking forward to it I can't wait to put him just in front of me just so I can see him don't think he's going to be any different to what I imagined him to be I didn't think it was possible to love somebody that you've never met before but there's a lot of people that fall in love on the internet um there's people that fall in love all over the world for all different reasons I just so happen to have fallen in love with the man on death row it's Michaela and Jody's last phone call before she leaves for the us but while she's excited about the meeting jod is feeling insecure and nervous now what you worried about me coming there well I told you before though you better be able to come in there and look at me I said you come in there look me in the eye yeah still tell me you love me I feel better so you're not going to settle until I get there till I look you in the eye until I say to you I'm here you're not going to be happy and that you love me well you know I love you you sometimes you put the phone down you throw me across the room and everything lucky you're not in front of me you do get in your moods well I'm allow them as well as you yeah but when and if I do Chuck you across the car it's because you deserved it but when is your mood going to end when's your mood going to end you knew what I was going to say now you're laughing like Woody W be hey hey hopefully Michaela will soon be able to put Jody's mind at ease but before she leaves like most girls about to meet their man for the first time her mind is on what to wear and there's an added pressure no short skirts no shorts definitely no shorts no hot pants um that's it basically I know it doesn't sound a lot but it's really difficult to find something to wear I wouldn't be able to wear those because they're just too skin tight they would see this as being provocative although it's not it's quite pretty with a nice C ofo under it you know something like this for instance you won't be allowed to wear that cuz it's got bits of metal on because you have to go for a metal detector which is more sensitive than the airports metal detector so I can put those back oh I want to make an effort for jod of course I do and I really do want to look nice if I could be yes of course i' would be sexually involved with Jodie the last time I had sex must have been about 3 years ago yeah about 3 years [Laughter] ago she's already worried about what Underpants she's got to buy what outfits she wants to wear you know not that I'm going to see Underpants I know she's nervous she can say what she wants but she is sitting there worried about her appearance and what she's going to wear and and and her hair she's got to go shopping for some clothes she's wear a paper sack for all I care I just want to see her but will they both be able to hold their nerve when they meet face to [Music] face over 3,000 M away in Baltimore USA Michaela has finally arrived to see her death row fiance despite speaking regularly on the phone and being together for almost 2 years this is going to be the first time they meet jod has been on death row for 12 years in 2009 in the entire United States 52 out of the 3,279 people on death row were executed one of the remarkable features and it still show that we're a frontier Society at heart is that we are really the only uh Western Europe Western Country so to speak that has maintained the death penalty and when it comes to the level of executions uh we are ranked annually with China Iran Saudi Arabia and other countries that uh we ought not be ranked with when it comes to criminal justice system so we're an outlier when it comes to the use of capital punishment we are are not within the international Norm we're very much outside the international Norm Baltimore city has one of the highest homicide counts in the US but one of the lowest execution rates in the last 30 years of the 3,000 individuals who were given the death sentence only five were executed Jodie is one of five death row inmates in the Maryland Correctional adjustment Center in 2006 the Maryland court of appeals declared a suspense on executions it's been suspended because the state did not develop the rules about how you execute somebody uh consistent with Maryland law that is the nuts and bolts about how you kill somebody they hadn't done that as required by state law so our highest court said no executions in effect until you come up with rules that provide the most humane way possible of killing somebody we poor poised hopefully to abolish it I hope we abolish it I think there's a there's a realistic chance of abolishing it in Maryland right now where there hasn't been in the past uh but we'll have to see what happens in Maryland over the next 5 to 10 years unless it is abolished jod will remain on death [Applause] row Jody is anxious about meeting his fiance for the first time but so far Michaela isn't nervous at all Jody still doesn't believe that I'm here so it's going to he's going to have one Mighty shot when I walk in there today when I finally get through them doors um it's going to be fun actually just to see his reaction see how he is face to face first time um it's quite exciting really I'm not nervous I probably will do once I get there but right now I'm not nervous at [Music] all jod was found guilty of first-degree felony murder and robbery with a deadly weapon in 1998 he admits to the crime but claims he felt threatened and acted in [Applause] self-defense I'm not one of these maor claims I'm innocent I'm not saying I'm innocent I never said I was innocent but the reason as to why I'm here was never brought out in court it was never made public Robert bidd has been representing jod for the past 2 years during this time he has collected new information which he hopes to reopen Jodi's case with he suffered childhood trauma he grew up in a broken home he grew up in a very stressful home environment he was a victim of sodomy and other acts by a male member of the community Jody's explained to our mental health professional our psychiatrist how in the situation that led to the murder that he was found guilty of he was being pursued by a homosexual and followed to a park in an area which was frequently uh visited by homosexuals who were interested in having sexual encounters he felt scared and frightened under the circumstances and that he believed that he needed to act in self-defense to resist this gentleman's advances under the circumstances and we argue that Jody Felt This Way due to in part the abuse that he suffered as a young man aged 11 to 14 growing up in his neighborhood we've done independent investigation to verify and support the information that Jody's provided Jodi's legal team have an appeal pending in front of the Maryland court of appeals at the present time given the issues that we're pursuing and that are available life with parole uh appears to be the most uh likely objective that we have if this is unsuccessful other than being exonerated the only option for jod would be life without parole this is not something that jod wants as it means he will be incarcerated until the day he dies you get at this point in your appeals where you finally get good lawyers but you have to have them try and undo all the wrongdoing the other lawyers screwed up so if they can get this in the courts and get this heard and get things done I'm very very hopeful there they turn out the way me and Michela want them to after 2 years Michaela's wait is finally over she's on her way to meet her death row fiance and with the prison just minutes away she's not feeling so confident I'm feeling really nervous I'm feeling agitated I'm feeling worried so many mixed emotions he worries about how he's going to feel about seeing me well I think the feeling is mutual now I really [Music] do okay we can't have you know physical contact but at least we've got eye to eye and that's the main main thing because you know like he said to me before once I see your eyes I will know that you're not here for a game you're not here to play with my emotions or my feelings or or anything else I'm here for [Music] real I call the offic here enough stress as it is knowing that she's probably out there waiting and they haven't called me yet I'll drive them insane I'll Pace the floor 14,000 times cuz that's what I do and I know the second they call me and say Jody you got to visit then I'm probably going to H panic I will Panic till she gets in that door looks me in the eye and tell me she loves me and then the Panic will be over until the little nearing its end and then I'll Panic again visits are usually for 30 minutes because Michaela has traveled from the UK she is allowed a 45-minute non- contct meeting with Jodie filming this meeting or an interview with Jodie is strictly prohibited by the [Music] prison oh gosh it's so cold that was really good meeting I had it was unbelievable didn't expect it to be the way it was but it was great it was a bit frightening at first but got past it I'm in there now I've been in I've seen him and I can't wait for the next one I think it took about 5 to 10 minutes for him to actually sit down and then just looked at me just glared at me as if to say I still can't believe you're here but it was an experience it was an experience I fancied him he's got the eyes to dream for and his smile and he just kept laughing it was good to hear him laugh and see him laugh I didn't realize how this would have affected me and it has affected me dramatically despite having a positive first meeting with jod Michaela wasn't prepared for just how much of an emot impact seeing him in prison would have it's 4:00 a.m. and she's struggling to cope I'm not going to say Jody again I'm [Music] not I don't think I can see him anymore because I know once I really really put my mind to it I'm going to hurt everybody is lawyers the Cults everything and I know I [Music] am I've got a big [Music] mouth if I go back and see him again I think it would I think it will completely break me my head is just [Music] spinning poor [Music] Jody after meeting her fiance just once could Michaela be considering going [Music] home in Baltimore us say Michaela struggled to cope with her emotions after meeting her death row fiance for the first time the next day she didn't go back and see Jodie and she couldn't bring herself to leave her room but after some time to really reflect she's managed to come to terms with Jody's situation and her feelings when I said I I didn't want to go back I in my of course I wanted to go back but I felt like I was going to do more harm to him if I did go back I just don't know what I was thinking of course I'm going to go back I'm going to try and get in there as much as I can seeing jod has made Michaela realize just how much he means to her she wants to fight as hard as she can for him so she's arranged a meeting with his lawyer to find out how she can help I'm not 100% up on Maryland laws so I can only go by what he tells me I'm hoping that he's got something for me do you feel hopeful for jod I do feel hopeful for jod we've been able to uncover a number of important issues that are helpful to show that jod was not eligible for the death penalty should not have received the death penalty and he's not the type of defendant where the death penalty isn't anywhere near appropriate we're optimistic that eventually the courts will share our point of view and will enter a just sentence for jod what do you think Michaela I am very very hopeful I want things to go his his way and um you've known Jody for how long uh around two years coming up to two years and did you find initially that it took some time to get Jody's trust yes that's certainly been the experience of attorneys and other folks yeah working with Jody um and after though jod has uh found trust uh I think that he's much more willing to open up do you think so oh I do I definitely do I definitely do but there's there's things that jod has said to me which I wouldn't pass on to anybody else unless he says that's fine because I don't want to take that trust away that he's actually built up with me I've done this work long enough to know that lawyers are not infallible that they're not the source of all truth in cases and that frequently clients or their families or friends or loved ones sometimes have excellent ideas that are absolutely essential to success in a case and my ears are open my doors open and my email box is available so please be in touch well that was very interesting um he's actually going to get me a transcript of the whole case and he actually wants me to work with him on the case rather than against him um really would like to see this get moving now over the next 3 days Michaela visits jod daily because she's traveled from the UK she's allowed A month's worth of visits in 5 [Music] days before the execution ban came into place the last death row prisoner to be killed in Maryland was in 2005 every week a group of opponents of executions gather outside the prison walls for a peaceful demonstration and Michaela is keing to get involved absolutely lovely to meet you yeah what you're actually doing here all you guys is absolutely fantastic how long have you been doing this uh we we are disagreeing but we think it's been a minimum of eight8 years or more and there might be 12 or 15 uh it started I think with particular uh vigils when there was an execution yeah shortly before but then it became a regular thing so we are here 5 to 6 Monday evening uh throughout the year yeah unless there's a holiday when there's no traffic and there will be no point in being here yeah yeah but what you're doing well it's quite emotional I think we stop I so would it be emotional sorry yeah understand I felt that it was very important that I came here to see these people and see what they do you know look at look at the weather it's freezing cold it's been snowing there's ice on the floor yet these guys are that dedicated they'll stand out here just to support what they believe is right Jodie is 40 years old he's been incarcerated since he was 27 it's nearly Christmas and for him it's a very difficult time of the year 23 years ago on Christmas Eve Jody's car was hit by a drunk driver his newborn baby twins were on board and didn't survive they died in my arms there was nothing I could do to prevent it stop it save it to watch your own children die and to know that you can't stop it you can't change it you can't fix it but you feel that you're responsible for no matter you know what anyone says I will always feel responsible before heading back to the UK Michael's traveled 66 mil away to Delaware this was Jody's Hometown before he was incarcerated and it's where his twins are buried I'm doing this for jod because he used to come here every Christmas Eve and it's so near Christmas Eve I thought because I'm here I'll take this opportunity and do it for him and as you can see around here the snow so deep and there's so many Gray and I really don't want to disturb any it shows a lot about who she is and her character and her heart she wants to show them that you know that they are still in my heart and even though I can't be there she will be there for me well I thought I'd come along today just leave a few things here but not just for Jody's two children but for all all these children here really and I also bought along a little Santa Claus uh which says we have no Chimes please use this special key and I just thought that would be nice for them too I brought a cookie candle um it smells very very sweet it smells of cookies and all kids love cookies at this time of year also um and and also a candle is a sign of [Music] [Music] Peace it's been a month since Michaela's trip to the us to meet her fiance now back in England her life is completely focused on fighting for Jody's case although we're like 5 hours in front I still check my emails to see if the lawyers have got back to me about anything um I have actually got an email from the lawyers saying wow Michaela it's 3:00 a.m. over there what are you still doing up emailing me and that's what I'm going to do if it takes like 3 or 4:00 in the morning and something Springs to mind and I'm not sleeping I will go ahead and do it the lawyers have been absolutely brilliant I I've got to admit that they've been really good I'm I'm very very pleased with what's happened since I've been back maybe we can get a CT date as soon as possible there has also been an improvement in the turbulent relationship between Michaela and her 22-year-old daughter Fiona things are much better between me and my mom since she came back from America we've spoken a little bit about things and she's more she is more open um yeah I am proud of my mom it's not like a job to her it's not something you can go out to work and come back home and forget about it it's her life she lives and breathes every single day and my mom believes in this and not everyone's going to agree with it but that's her choice and if if that makes her happy then she should do [Music] it despite spending her time working on Jody's case now back in England he is once again just a voice at the end of the phone are you okay I feel okay yeah can you hear me yeah can you hear me just about just about just [Music] about is what do you have your oh speak properly you're breaking up we are not breaking up it's all in your [Laughter] mind my right the phone sounds really crap so I'm going I'm going to have to go and eat my dinner [Music] okay my voice does not sound like that no I said the [Music] phone you know you know the solution to that right yeah hang up I like to hear him on top form I don't like to hear him miserable and down and but it's good to hear him laugh and joke and he's been doing a lot more of that as well since I got home and he's the one that actually pushes me on the phone telling me I should go out I should be doing this and I should be doing that um which I do I do go out but and I don't worry so much about getting his calls anymore I don't worry if I'm going to miss his call because I know he's he's going to ring back he's going to keep ringing until he gets hold of me but I don't worry so much now Meeting In the Flesh has really strengthened jod and Michaela's relationship and they are much more relaxed with one another Mich Tor is prepared to fight for him for as long as it [Music] takes the ultimate goal would be for him me and him to walk hand inand on the beach into the sunset that would be that is what I really would want to happen but reality is fighting the courts fighting the lawyers fighting the people that hate people like me and other people who fight for death row inmates that's reality but I'm I'm not in a rush he's on death row you can't be in a rush when you're on death [Music] row I could watch a TV show and you see a couple walking down the street or sitting there talking or dancing or anything and my mind automatically goes to me and her it always goes to you know that's going to be us we're going to do that then you hear you know a sad song and you listen to the words and you start thinking I can't wait to just sit there and hold her hand look into her eyes and sing these words to her anything just to be with [Music] her I'm Sandy I'm 47 years old and I live in Somerset in England but I've just arrived in Texas because I'm visiting my fiance to organize our [Applause] wedding it's 5 to8 the taxi be here in a minute Sandy will spend her last single night away from the groom but it won't be the last in fact he's not even going to be at the wedding because he's a prisoner on death row they won't release Reg to get married and they won't marry us there there is no contact at all between the prisoner and their visitor anyway [Music] unfortunately [Music] Sandy is a twice divorced mother of Two and a grandmother she's currently unemployed but spends most of her time writing two and four prisoners she calls herself a prison reformist I started writing to prisoners uh around about five five years five and a half years ago I write to the inmates over in USA because I believe everyone has a right to have a friend no matter if they're incarcerated or in the Free World some of them okay what they did was was wrong but they're still human beings and a lot of it is Banter they just need I mean they have to fill their time somehow you know and they need that contact with the outside world you can build real good friendships real good good friendships I'm not on about the love thing or anything like that but real good friendships it was for a very personal reason why Sandy chose to write to death row inmates she was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 4 and 1/2 years old and it wasn't until she was 27 that she had the all clear I myself felt I was going to die I didn't have a date to die but I was sitting around waiting to die so I put myself in their shoes because I lived it so I do know what it feels like Sandy has had seven death row pen pals but a year ago one of these Reginald Blandon became more than just a friend I'd just come out for a relationship um I was already writing to rege and I had this letter from RE one day and first of all I thought he was joking cuz he was always bantering you know in letters and he said I was thinking of snapping you up and taking you off the market and I laughed and I wrote back I said well why don't you then you know thinking it was a joke and he wrote back and it just started from there in 2001 Reginald Blandon was convicted of shooting his friend Carlos Gaza in the head after Reginald supposedly stole some jewelry from him Reginald has always proclaimed his innocence and hopes that soon he'll hear whether his appeal will be heard by the US Supreme Court but whatever happens Sandy wants to marry him my honest opinion was why there's plenty of Men available in this country But there again at the end of the day if she wants to to do what she's doing she's helping an American citizen um not only that he given him a bit of happiness as well I mean it's making Sandra very happy she's enjoying it it's not doing nobody any harm I'll back her at 100% chin K do whatever she wants there are currently over 100 women in Britain who are emotionally involved with men on America's death row some women know their man is guilty of his crime others are convinced that they're not I know re is innocent and I will say that to the day I die re is this real spiritual person he is a real love I you can go and sit and talk to him face to face and sometimes when we visit it's like we sit opposite one another obviously we have to use the phone in you know you got the glass in front of you but it's how he BS his eyes into you and and you feel this connection with him and it's like this spirituality that you don't have to speak you don't actually have to speak to him because you can read each other and that is how close that we are it's only a couple of days until Sandy leaves for Texas to see regj she's only been there four times so most of their relationship is made up of the hundreds of letters they write when re writes he'll always start off I love you my queen cuz I call him my king um and if he's got something bad that he wants to say to me you'll say right okay okay hear me out you know but it it's just like a normal couple except we haven't got the normal couple privileges but I think you can get very close to somebody um in a letter I mean you build a real close friendship if you want to have sex with somebody that you can't even see or touch obviously that's when you go the letters I'm just being honest you know they they want to write you sex letters or you want to write them that's entirely up to the individual person do we ever argue yeah they um just like anybody else except it's in letter form and then when I do go to visit him that is when I get it he will he will sort of say I'm stubborn I admit it yes I am but then so is he so yeah during his eight years on death row regj has had several appeals based on the fact that no DNA evidence was presented at his trial no murder weapon was found and all African-American members of the jury were removed from the trial according to the only two witnesses they were forced to sign statements against regge under the threat of being charged with the crime regge has also had two lawyers during the process the first of whom didn't file his innocence claims in the state cour Court which has resulted in these being barred from ever being heard you know when people talk about how the death penalty works in the United States I suppose the simple answer is it doesn't it's an insane system right now there are about 3,700 people facing the death penalty in the US at your first trial you get a lawyer of some sort although the quality of the defense is just abysmal and and you get a lawyer for the first appeal but then for the rest of the process which is the vast majority of the case as it drags on for 10 or 20 years you have no right to a lawyer at all you're meant to represent yourself which I mean in all honesty is one of the stupidest rules of American law so ultimately one great criticism of the American system is you end up on death row not necessarily for the crime you committed but for the lawyer that you received for the process sand writes and manages several web pages for death row prisoners it's like a full-time job okay I've got a son living at home and I've also got a grandson and a daughter but you do work around that you know when my son's in bed at night I will get on and do what I need to do when the inmates write to you they might send you some writings to put up on their Pages for them could be anything about their case or maybe just a general diary from week a week then at the end of the month you send their comments or their print outs to them so it keep keeps their mind active I wouldn't say I feel sorry for them because that is not the word that I should use um I feel for them um and their families and also the victim's families it's it's a system that is not working but s's determination to help can come with a price I've had in the past a lot of hate mail um via the Internet um death threats via the internet but it it hasn't bothered me because it just shows how shallow some people can be well the hles on the internet I mean the deaths and to me that's just people that don't know they don't know Sandra until you get to know somebody I mean like I've known Sandra on my life so I know you know how she feels things that do hurt words hurt but um I think she's a strong enough girl to come through at the end of it hopefully but you never know you know Sandy is leaving for Texas tomorrow and each time she goes people always comment you know say okay if they say what are you going over there for I'm going to visit pungky unit death row and then they do ask questions you know or were they they're convicted they should be in there or something like that and I said well I said you don't know Texas then and I leave it at [Music] that at a motel in Livingston Texas Sandy is getting ready to see her deathro fiance to sort out their wedding arrangements despite their 19-year age Gap Sandy and re both profess this is true love it definitely is true love between re and myself he is a beautiful person inside and out no matter what people say about some of those prisoners rej is a real man and he makes me laugh he makes me cry and I wouldn't swaping for the [Music] world I wish that I could at least have contact visits with reg so I could hold his hand or he could like smell the perfume I often think of times when um reg could be free that we could spend proper quality time together and if you don't think on that then you you just don't have the Hope don't have the dreams and everybody's in to their dreams and hopes and that's what keeps some of the gu going keeps re going keeps me going palansky unit is a Maximum Security Prison with 330 prisoners on death [Music] row I'm always nervous when I um go into the prison on a first trip you know the first visit of a trip um I don't know why it's just that place but you know after a while it's okay once You' be been sitting there for about 10 minutes for fiance regge it's been a nerve-wracking morning too at first I thought I was just strong in this macho man because I didn't feel any butterflies but then like when 6:00 rolled around and I knew that it was 2 hours before she was going to be in here I was nervous I was real nervous I was so nervous I had to meditate and then I didn't know if I was going to cry got all emotional we were not allowed to film the visit between Sandy and regj but today they get to spend 4 hours together and despite the Prison Walls this has never affected the way regge feels about Sandy I do remember in the moment that I first fell in love with her it was out here in visitation and uh she wasn't visiting me but uh I got to see her for the first time I recognized her from her picture and uh I told my mama my mama was visiting me I told my mama I said Mama that's that's Sandy get her attention get her attention and so she said are you are you Sandy and she said yes he said this is rid and she looked at me and that was it I was gone I've been gone ever since I don't like seeing him in there um when you do go and visit you just want to break down the glass and get them out cuz it's a hoell ho people can say oh but he's done something wrong he should be in there but they should learn to know regj and then maybe make a judgment Sandy and regj tried to enjoy their meeting but their wedding is the furthest thing from their minds they've received some serious news reger's final attempt for his appeal to be heard by the Supreme Court has been denied and an execution date will follow any day re is he tries not to show it but he you can tell deep down that he is scared he is scared to being killed because of something he hasn't done I'm scared for him um I had my tears I've just got to stay strong for him really stay more focused the first thing that went through my mind was her and uh I felt like I felt like I was ruining her life because I can only imagine how that made her feel I tell her I tell her I said baby you crazy Your Love blinds you to me he's always been there you know I've always had him there by my side it you know figure of speech so to have him not there I don't personally know what I'm going to do she was the only person that I can express myself to like that that would stay in my life long enough to go through my ups and downs with me but I can go through that alone and I would go through that alone if I knew that it would prevent her from being devastated by the state killing me and whatever happens to re I'm I'm going to be there for him anyway even if it is an execution date he he's known this from the start that'll always be there for him reg's family cannot afford a private legal team his appeals process will continue but he's now on the third lawyer assigned to him by the court and resources are limited reger's lawyer was supposed to gone to see him again for a second time which again for the second time didn't turn up to see him so that is something that you know I'm going to have to find out why he didn't turn up because re needs to see his lawyer at this point in time John help you hello is it possible speak to John please he's not in take a message or would you like his voicemail um no what is um I went in to see Reginald Blandon this morning because I'm over in Texas from England um and Reginald said that John was supposed to gone to see him on the 19th or the 26th and he he didn't turn up to see him and reg was wondering what why he didn't turn up yeah he didn't go because um he was appointed to another case and he had to be in federal court here that day so he's going um yeah he's rescheduling oh let's see if he told me the date um I think it's July 9th that he said he was going to reschedule it too July the 9th July the 9th or the 16th which is um the thing is time is going on with Reginald's case and and he really needs to see John urgently yes I I I know and I mean he had already bought his ticket everything he was ready to go but then he got that case and they said it for that morning so he had to you know cancel that right okay okay then thanks ever so much you're welome thank you bye bye bye [Music] bye Mama doesn't even know that you didn't turn up Friday so he didn't obviously obviously didn't tell Reggie's mom who he's supposed to be in contact with at all times why a load of Clive Stafford Smith is not regg's lawyer but has 25 years legal experience as a defense lawyer on American Death Row cases most lawyers don't go into the practice of law to represent poor people for very little money and in death penalty cases the resources are so limited I mean in much of my career in Mississippi and you know Louisiana places like that the most you could get paid for whole Capital case was $1,000 you know about maybe £600 that was meant to be the lawyers fee it was meant to be all the experts all the investigators everything there was one time in Mississippi where we put a lot of work into a case and so we were being paid about a dollar an hour and we sued them under the federal minimum wage law you know they said you at least you should pay us 525 an hour if nothing more than that if regge can't get another appeal it's possible he may only have a few months left to live Sandy is desperate to marry him but there's a problem she's still married to her third [Music] husband he's also on palansky death row on the same Wing as [Music] re in Texas Sandy is trying to organize her marriage to a second inmate on death row last year she married Charles Chucky Mamu he was convicted in 1999 for a double murder during a drug deal what was I thinking marry and Chucky I wasn't thinking I really I really don't know you know that's that's not against Chucky that that was my mistake the mistake I made Sandy had been pen pals with 34-year-old Chucky for a year and a half and on their second meeting he proposed when you actually meet them especially in that place it's a complete different thing and I suppose that on the spur of the moment and he was feeling things on the spur of the moment so he asked me to marry him and I just said yes Chucky is a very intelligent person but he's also a charmer and that will woo any woman into his charm she came real understanding sand is a real compassionate woman regardless to how the situation worked out for she and I she she's a person who I feel is a genuine person of Integrity meaning that as she comes to you she coming to you from the heart one two three Sandy and Chucky got married just a few miles from the prison but he wasn't allowed to attend his family though traveled in from Louisiana to be there I was stood on my own with Chucky's dad who actually was the one that gave me away and put the ring on my finger my family adored Sandy uh my children was looking forward to um calling her stepmom and stuff like that and at the time I really thought she was the one but Sandy was beginning to feel differently the night before the wedding I was in my motel room on my own and I wanted to run I thought what the am I doing but um I went through with it it was something I just couldn't walk away I don't think people understand it was difficult to just got up and got on the plane and gone home her then pen pal regge who also knows Chucky knew something was up I thought it was just you know marriage Jitters so I tried to encourage it like oh you just you just nervous y'all be all right just be there for him and I try to take up for him saying that you know he'll open up he'll open up his heart to you and just give it a little time and I was just trying I was just trying to just have her back and just but I didn't know that I was kind of pushing her intoo hard so it's partially my fault once she was back home Sandy found out that despite being married Chucky was still writing sex letters to other [Music] women yeah I was I I was I was a naughty and and again it wasn't so much I wasn't committed to being faithful to her uh there was a misunderstanding that I thought she was being know as well was I faithful hell no because by by not being faithful I knew that was the wrong thing it was a wrong thing to have married him but then nor was [Music] he after 4 months their marriage had fallen apart things start fading away the letters you know where you was getting a letter four or five times a week you start getting two with then you know what time it is and then you know you start there arguing bickering over nonsense but that's pretty much I can say on the borderline of why I didn't work out with Sandy night we just realized it wasn't going to work now single Sandy was ready to turn her blossoming relationship with regge into more than just friends but sometimes the lengthy divorce process has taken its toll I know that outside of my own insecurities that what me and San he have is phenomenal and so when I focus on the love all those Shadows just fade away and it becomes irrelevant Chucky has signed the divorce papers but there is a problem with them apparently I should have filled out the part that he filled out and the part he filled out I should have filled out so it's all got to be done again I feel that a lot of time has been wasted or maybe something that should have been with re and that is something that I have got to live with now but is marrying another death row inmate really the answer for Sandy people are bound to think I'm mad for doing what I'm doing but that's their opinion I've got my own even in the Free World you know you could go into a bar and maybe meet somebody that doesn't work out and if you few months down the line you're going out with somebody else it's it's very [Music] similar Sand's traveled six hours to San Antonio Reggie's mom has organized a protest March for her son this is the first time Sandy has visited where 28-year-old regge used to live somewhere he hasn't seen since he was incarcerated at 18 it's kind of eerie being here knowing that once he was out here playing as a kid and now he's in that place locked up never maybe to see this place again Sandy hasn't seen reg's Mom Anna since last year but they're very close and spend hours talking on the phone look at you how you [Music] doing it's been a tough 10 years for reger's Mom since he was imprisoned I feel like I'm alone you're not alone you're not alone not now but for a long time I was and Sandy that's why I guess we talk so much on the phone you been a joy to me I want you to know I could never you are precious to me and I'm so thankful to have you in my life I want you to know that I love you Sandra's relationship with my mama is very important to me it's like you know my mama didn't like any of the women that I've ever ever been with none of them um she had names for all of them and it wasn't the name that they were born with but um they got real close like sisters and that kind of blew me away I thought that uh I thought that Sandra was putting something in her drink or [Applause] [Music] [Applause] something it sh it sh let it sh it sh we Justice want Justice we want Justice the protest March is taking place outside the courthouse where reg was convicted and has attracted media [Applause] attention re and his family and friends are still campaigning for his release I'm overwhelmed with words because of the love that I'm seeing amongst everybody you know it softened my heart but I need to keep my heart strong because of what the legal system is trying to do to my brother and it it's wonderful that Sandy being here being my brother's fiance show him much support to stand by his side stand by his innocence what she is doing I mean myself I couldn't see myself waiting for somebody to come out of prison so it goes to show it it goes way beyond that it's love it's love and that's what this world should be about about love not taking any man's [Music] life reg's family and friends will continue to campaign but his fate does still lie in the hands of the legal system you know I don't know what my plans are except for fighting for my son's life Mama's not going to cry to me she's not going to reveal that to me at all and so I know I know she hurts and I know she's going through a lot of pain and I've written her several times to try to get her to express that to me but she won't respond but she responds to Sandra though she cries to Sandra so that's very that's very important I mean who else who else would she have if Sant wasn't there she wouldn't have nobody else to do that with so that's very important there are times that uh I would call her it would be very late so it would be like maybe 2: or 1 in the morning her time and I couldn't feel very down but somehow we find things to laugh and talk about victory tonight as Sandy gets ready to leave Texas the news item of the courthouse protest is being broadcast oh my god look it was very emotional day today very emotional Sor I dude I just feel drained it it might not I'm not even going to say no more on that oh that is so tomorrow Sandy is heading back home for what could be months of stress and insecurity once I get back to good old England um first of all I know the divorce my divorce is got to come through or should be through and then regim myself can make plans for the forthcoming marriage but with reference to his case I'm going to keep on keeping contact with his lawyer to find out what he's going to be doing keep in contact with Anna because we have got to look for a different way to get reg some more exposure for his [Music] case it's 2 weeks since Sandy left Texas now she's back her relationship with her beloved death row fiance has to revert back to just the letters that they write you know I always um go to the first part of his letter and then I'll go to the end part of his letter and if the first bit starts off okay and the end bit ends okay then I know whatever is in between I can just read and not worry about but this time re hasn't sent her the love letter she was hoping for yeah still I'll let him off this time I know with reg at the moment he's feeling down and he's going to have those moments you know it's just like I have my moments when I'm in a bad mood I'll write him a a shitty letter you know but that that's how we are you know that's how it's supposed to be the good days and the bad take the rough with the smooth Sandy is finding it difficult to sleep and has lost weight the strain of the situation is beginning to take hold but nothing could prepare her for the news that regge has been given an execution date for the 27th of October that's in just over 3 months time I actually found out on the internet it w the sort of way I wanted to find out um but I did but then that just shows what sick system it is I'm going to be honest no I'm not coping well because I didn't expect this to happen I mean I went into the relationship with re um with the reality that that one day it might but it just seems that it's just happened so quick Sandy has also been sent reg's warrant of execution it says his name um and then it goes on to say it is the order of the court that the defendant Reginal Blandon who has been previously sentenced to death shall on the 27th day of October 2009 at any time after the hour of 6: p.m. be caused to die by intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death and until such convict is dead such execution procedure to be determined and supervised by the director of The Intern inter sorry the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice I mean just like that and that how it's sent to rege that's his life I would put my own self in his shoes if he could have his life yeah yeah because I believe in him so much despite what people are going to say out there I don't give a toss really all I know is I know re and I'll always have his back and I know for a fact he's always got my back yeah [Music] [Applause] [Music] if the courts don't give me a stay then they'll be trying to execute me on Tuesday in the past 3 months there have been More protest rallies and petitions for Reg and he had an interview with the Board of Pardons and paroles these have all been unsuccessful in getting him a stay of execution his lawyer has continued to make appeals and he stepped up efforts to get the ban of regg's Innocence claims being heard overturned these appeals were denied by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals 5 days ago the final option is to take these same claims back to the US Supreme Court but of all appeals submitted only 2% are ever granted a stay so it would sometime be today that you're here or tomorrow you know morning or can it go right through to the last minute it it could go through to the last minute he said that he's going to file all these uh legal uh claims of my concern to the Supreme Court so right now it's just a waiting game to see what the court has to say what re needs now is a miracle a real Miracle it's not death that I'm scared of I've dealt with the fact for probably the past 5 years I've been dealing with that I came to accept that the scare is what the the state killing me might do to my mama I'm scared of what it would do to my queen I know she's being strong for me but I also know it's tearing her apart Sandy has spent the last few days visiting regj this is the most time that they have ever spent together it's been very very difficult since he's was given the execution date um he became very hard sometimes it felt like he was taking it out on me because I was out in the Free World and he was obviously where he is um but also it was like he was pushing me away because he didn't want me to hurt so much if it actually came down to his execution but when you can actually um air your differences on a face Toof face level it it is much easier to get it sorted she tells me sometimes when we have our little arguments right that it wouldn't matter if I was there with you and I think about that sometimes you know when you're in the heat of battle you you're like yeah it will matter even if you face to face but when she comes face to face you just melt and then you get mad at yourself for melting right but that's that that's what it is that's that love the love overpowers everything Sandy and re wanted to get married but her divorce from Chucky has still not come through the only thing Sandy could do was change her name by deed Poole she is now officially Sandy Blandon I've been calling Sandy Blandon for a long time but it's it's it's kind of like her putting a ring on my finger to have her actually change her name like that so that's kind of like what that felt like like yeah I I was calling in there for a long time now but to have a do it efficiently that feels real beautiful in the days leading up to an execution death row offenders can have all day visits with their family and friends they're still not allowed any contact but have a private room with a glass petition Today Sandy and regj have spent an emotional 8 hours together before his execution tomorrow he had his it's hard to explain but the hand his both his hands at the glass and he was just sobbing absolute sobbing I've never seen him cry so much since I've been going to see him and it was hard because then he's saying you know if they kill me tomorrow I think re is just thinking a miracle now people don't realize during this last visit the practicalities of what's happening to tomorrow became a reality three men came towards me and they asked you know asked my name and they sat me down and they were the chaplain and the spiritual advisor and one of them is the ones that's going to actually going to be in the execution with re tomorrow so they were just trying to you know say if I got any questions to ask to um as them so I said to the main one does it really hurt what can they say they can't answer that they can't answer that it's just like all business everything's business in there it's the afternoon of the execution day there is no word from reg's lawyer and because the US Supreme Court can make a decision up to the very last last minute Sandy has had to leave to go to Huntsville in case the execution goes ahead regj has always said he's innocent of the crime he's convicted of but has very strong principles as to why he has stayed silent all these years I have a suspicion of whom committed this murder but it's a suspicion that I'm unable to speak of not only because of my own personal principles but to protect my family I've said to him time and time again you know you've only got a few hours left you know why don't you speak up and it's the same answer I'm no snitch coming from where I come from it is indoctrinated in you tonight not snitch you know Crips and bloods they never snitch on their homies I decided within myself that I was going to stand on my principles no matter what the situation was and that's exactly what I'm doing they know who the suspects were in this case I was convenient Sandy will spend the next few hours in the prison hospital house with reg's brother Andre they'll both be able to speak to regj on the phone re and his mother Anna decided it best that she didn't go to the [Music] execution the Huntsville Unit is 160 years old the oldest state prison in Texas it's been the home of all state executions since 1923 if if reg doesn't get a last minute stay he will be the 19th prisoner this year to die by lethal injection if it was up to me I would want y'all to actually be in there to be able to film the actual execution so that people can see the process so people can see the state of Texas use these chemicals on me to kill me that the American Veterinary Association won't even allow to be used on dogs yes I want y'all to document all of this despite reg's Wishes the state of Texas has never allowed an execution to be filmed at 4:50 p.m. Regis stay was denied by the US Supreme Court his execution is scheduled to take place in 1 hour's time shortly before 6:00 Sandy and Reggie's brother are escorted to the main prison to witness his execution when they opened up the witness room door I could see him laid on that gurny and at one point I went to walk in and I stopped myself and I I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do it and I thought I've got to you know I'm I'm doing this for regge so I went straight up to the window and they asked him if he needed you know if he had a last statement and he said yes I do he did say to Carlos's family he was innocent and his words was Carlos was my friend the morning visit that I had with him and I said to him when the Poison's go in just if you can give me a smile so I will know that you're actually feeling okay and he did do a smile but after that there was nothing that was it gone after everything that we've been through after all the love we shared and all the fighting we did that the only way that they allow her to touch me is in my death I think that would be like spitting on her I don't even want to think about what that what that might mean to my [Music] queen

Channel: Real Stories

Views: 56,190

Keywords: documentary 2023, full length documentaries 2023, documentary movies - topic, free documentaries on YouTube, Real stories uk, real stories full documentary 2023, real stories, Death Row Romance, Prison Love Story, Death Penalty Activism, True Love Behind Bars, Innocence on Death Row, Death Row Inmate Relationships, Unlikely Love Stories, Prison Reform Advocacy, Behind Prison Walls, Love in Confinement, Death Row Experiences, Family Struggles with Incarceration

Id: JIb2ARphVes

Length: 91min 30sec (5490 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 04 2024