DarkDante
08-20-2005, 01:11 AM
I'll make no bones about it some of my favorite segments on "Unsolved Mysteries" deal with "Final Appeals" - These segments are very interesting because it calls upon us as viewers to question our own morals and beliefs. Most people are brought up to think the best of others, but in these cases the people who are profiled have been convicted of henious crimes and are serving either long prison sentences or are on death row as a result. Many have exhausted their appeals and turn to the viewing audiance in order to gain credence to their tales of innocence, some however may truly be imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. We have previously discussed the case of Jeffrey MacDonald and now I would like to bring up another case, one of which the question of guilt vs. innocence is in some folks mind blurred: - This is the case of Glen Consagra.
In 1978 Glen Consagra and two of his friends Freddie and Mary Lou were partying at a spoil bank (man made island) in Florida. That night Freddie and Mary Lou were brutally murdered by someone using not one but two different guns. According to Consagra while the murders were taking place he was sleeping/hiding behind an oil drum on the island and had no involvement whatsoever in his friends death. Consagra escaped the island that night unharmed and upon return to the mainland told a wild story claiming that Mary Lou and Freddie left the spoil bank to get beer and never returned even though he knew different. A short while later the dead bodies of Freddie and Mary Lou were found.
Police arrested Consagra and alleged he murdered his two friends because Freddie had defaulted on a car payment to Consagra and possibly because Freddie knew Glen was involved in a theft ring. They also say that Consagra was in posession of the exact same guns that were used in the murders.
When the trial date came around Consagra pleaded down to "second degree murder" of Freddie and no-contest in the death of Mary Lou. Consagra claimed he pleaded guilty only because the prosecution was holding the death penalty over his head if he was convicted. Consagra was sentenced to two life terms.
The question remains did Glen Consagra murder his two friends? - You decide here are some points brought out in the segment to help you out
- The Circumstantial Evidence against Consagra is strong. As far as anyone knows he was the only person besides the victims on the spoil bank that night. The spoil bank is located far away from land making the chance of a random killer showing up highly unlikely.
- According to the police Consagra had a motive to kill Freddie and was in posession of the types of weapons used in the crime. They also claim that Consagra was trying to find someone to come up with an alibi for him for the night of the murders.
- Many people on the mainland dispute the police's findings that two barrages of shots were fired (both guns were used to kill freddie and one gun was used to kill Mary Lou) and claim only one barrage of shots were fired.
- Consagra found a witness to challenge the prosecution's theory. Her name was Donna and she claimed that she and two of Consagra's friends one name Ted murdered Freddie and Mary Lou due to the theft ring. She claims that both she and Ted murdered Freddie and the other unknown killer murdered Mary Lou.
- The prosecution claims that Donna is a Schizophrenic liar citing the number of times Donna has changed her story (claiming the murders took place on a different island and claiming she was not involved at all) - However Donna had always mantained that Ted was INVOLVED in the murders.
- The mere fact that Donna is Schizophrenic should not disqualify her as a witness however what does cast doubt on her claims is the fact that if in fact Ted was such good friends with Consagra that Consagra would have noticed Ted's voice prior to the shooting of Freddie and Mary Lou as the three were arguing loudly.
- There is physical evidence to suggest Consagra's innocence. Consagra by himself would have been virutally unable to drag the dead bodies into the water along with an anchor and a heavy boat engine. There is also the question of the weapons used in the shooting, why would the killer use two different guns? - In addition if Consagra was indeed the killer why did he sink his own boat after the killing of his friends, leaving his only chance to make it back to shore being a dangerous swim? - This evidence leads some to believe that more people besides Consagra and the victims were on the island that evening
- The prosecution claim that Glen Consagra pleaded guilty because he knew he had no case is also somewhat laughable. Consagra was encouraged to plead guilty by his own attorneys. While the decision was ultimately Glen's it should be noted that his attorney's stated he had a "one in five chance" of winning the case. It should also be noted that Consagra was deathly afraid of being sent to the electric chair. Finally one statement the prosecutor makes about Glen's confession is inconsistant with the facts - The prosecutor interviewed in the segment states that Consagra knowingly pleaded guilty to two life terms when in fact Consagra thought he was pleaded only to a six month sentence. While it is easy for the prosecutor to say that pleading to two life sentences (which Consagra didn't know he was facing at the time the plea was made) should not be a decision taken lightly by anyone, I can't help but imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and the prosecutor was staring death in the eye if he (or many other) people wouldn't take the plea if only to save their life. That is a crapshoot in itself.
- Consagra's case has been reviewed and he has been denied a new trial on several occasions.
- I will offer another theory - If we believe the police that Freddie was going to inform on Consagra's theft ring that provides motive for both Consagra and "Ted" to want Freddie dead. It is possible that Consagra informed "Ted" that he & Freddie were going to be on the spoil bank that night with the only problem with this theory being that according to Consagra their original destination was "Honeymoon Island" and not the spoil bank where they ended up. It is however possible that "Ted" still managed to show up on the spoil bank along with the woman named Donna and the unknown man and they murdered Freddie and Mary Lou possibly in a loud arguement gone horribly wrong. It is possible that Consagra was not hiding behind the oil drum at all and perhaps witnessed or perhaps aided in this crime and helped the murderers cover it up. A deal is then struck possibly to clear all involved of the murder. Ted, Donna and the unknown friend will take the boat they came in back to land. Consagra is asked/told to swim back to shore to give them impression that he was stranded on the island alone. Upon returning to shore he would tell the police that he fell asleep on the spoil bank and when he awoke his boat was sunk, his campsite disturbed and his friends missing. No mention would be made of other individuals on the spoil bank that evening or the events that took place.
Unfortunatley once the bodies washed up "Ted" possibly in fear that somehow evidence (physical or otherwise) would show up implicating him in the murders decides to implicate Consagra in the crime telling police that Consagra wanted Freddie dead due to the information that Freddie had on the theft ring. This is bolstered by Donna's claim that the alleged arguement between "Ted" and Freddie was specifically about Freddie's inability to keep his mouth shut. By pointing the finger at Consagra who had already admitted he was on the island that night, "Ted" takes the spotlight off of himself, Donna and the unknown man and implicated one man, Glen Consagra in the murders of both victims.
It is also interesting to note that in her "confession" Donna tried her best to prove that other people were on the island that night and committed the murders but at the same time tried to downplay her own involvement in the killings claiming "Ted" forced the weapon used to kill Freddie into her hand and forced her to fire it showing that possibly that the above scenerio might be plausible and in fact what Donna was trying to do was clear Consagra but at the same time not implicate herself in the crime.
What do you think? - Is Glen Consagra guilty?
Later.
In 1978 Glen Consagra and two of his friends Freddie and Mary Lou were partying at a spoil bank (man made island) in Florida. That night Freddie and Mary Lou were brutally murdered by someone using not one but two different guns. According to Consagra while the murders were taking place he was sleeping/hiding behind an oil drum on the island and had no involvement whatsoever in his friends death. Consagra escaped the island that night unharmed and upon return to the mainland told a wild story claiming that Mary Lou and Freddie left the spoil bank to get beer and never returned even though he knew different. A short while later the dead bodies of Freddie and Mary Lou were found.
Police arrested Consagra and alleged he murdered his two friends because Freddie had defaulted on a car payment to Consagra and possibly because Freddie knew Glen was involved in a theft ring. They also say that Consagra was in posession of the exact same guns that were used in the murders.
When the trial date came around Consagra pleaded down to "second degree murder" of Freddie and no-contest in the death of Mary Lou. Consagra claimed he pleaded guilty only because the prosecution was holding the death penalty over his head if he was convicted. Consagra was sentenced to two life terms.
The question remains did Glen Consagra murder his two friends? - You decide here are some points brought out in the segment to help you out
- The Circumstantial Evidence against Consagra is strong. As far as anyone knows he was the only person besides the victims on the spoil bank that night. The spoil bank is located far away from land making the chance of a random killer showing up highly unlikely.
- According to the police Consagra had a motive to kill Freddie and was in posession of the types of weapons used in the crime. They also claim that Consagra was trying to find someone to come up with an alibi for him for the night of the murders.
- Many people on the mainland dispute the police's findings that two barrages of shots were fired (both guns were used to kill freddie and one gun was used to kill Mary Lou) and claim only one barrage of shots were fired.
- Consagra found a witness to challenge the prosecution's theory. Her name was Donna and she claimed that she and two of Consagra's friends one name Ted murdered Freddie and Mary Lou due to the theft ring. She claims that both she and Ted murdered Freddie and the other unknown killer murdered Mary Lou.
- The prosecution claims that Donna is a Schizophrenic liar citing the number of times Donna has changed her story (claiming the murders took place on a different island and claiming she was not involved at all) - However Donna had always mantained that Ted was INVOLVED in the murders.
- The mere fact that Donna is Schizophrenic should not disqualify her as a witness however what does cast doubt on her claims is the fact that if in fact Ted was such good friends with Consagra that Consagra would have noticed Ted's voice prior to the shooting of Freddie and Mary Lou as the three were arguing loudly.
- There is physical evidence to suggest Consagra's innocence. Consagra by himself would have been virutally unable to drag the dead bodies into the water along with an anchor and a heavy boat engine. There is also the question of the weapons used in the shooting, why would the killer use two different guns? - In addition if Consagra was indeed the killer why did he sink his own boat after the killing of his friends, leaving his only chance to make it back to shore being a dangerous swim? - This evidence leads some to believe that more people besides Consagra and the victims were on the island that evening
- The prosecution claim that Glen Consagra pleaded guilty because he knew he had no case is also somewhat laughable. Consagra was encouraged to plead guilty by his own attorneys. While the decision was ultimately Glen's it should be noted that his attorney's stated he had a "one in five chance" of winning the case. It should also be noted that Consagra was deathly afraid of being sent to the electric chair. Finally one statement the prosecutor makes about Glen's confession is inconsistant with the facts - The prosecutor interviewed in the segment states that Consagra knowingly pleaded guilty to two life terms when in fact Consagra thought he was pleaded only to a six month sentence. While it is easy for the prosecutor to say that pleading to two life sentences (which Consagra didn't know he was facing at the time the plea was made) should not be a decision taken lightly by anyone, I can't help but imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and the prosecutor was staring death in the eye if he (or many other) people wouldn't take the plea if only to save their life. That is a crapshoot in itself.
- Consagra's case has been reviewed and he has been denied a new trial on several occasions.
- I will offer another theory - If we believe the police that Freddie was going to inform on Consagra's theft ring that provides motive for both Consagra and "Ted" to want Freddie dead. It is possible that Consagra informed "Ted" that he & Freddie were going to be on the spoil bank that night with the only problem with this theory being that according to Consagra their original destination was "Honeymoon Island" and not the spoil bank where they ended up. It is however possible that "Ted" still managed to show up on the spoil bank along with the woman named Donna and the unknown man and they murdered Freddie and Mary Lou possibly in a loud arguement gone horribly wrong. It is possible that Consagra was not hiding behind the oil drum at all and perhaps witnessed or perhaps aided in this crime and helped the murderers cover it up. A deal is then struck possibly to clear all involved of the murder. Ted, Donna and the unknown friend will take the boat they came in back to land. Consagra is asked/told to swim back to shore to give them impression that he was stranded on the island alone. Upon returning to shore he would tell the police that he fell asleep on the spoil bank and when he awoke his boat was sunk, his campsite disturbed and his friends missing. No mention would be made of other individuals on the spoil bank that evening or the events that took place.
Unfortunatley once the bodies washed up "Ted" possibly in fear that somehow evidence (physical or otherwise) would show up implicating him in the murders decides to implicate Consagra in the crime telling police that Consagra wanted Freddie dead due to the information that Freddie had on the theft ring. This is bolstered by Donna's claim that the alleged arguement between "Ted" and Freddie was specifically about Freddie's inability to keep his mouth shut. By pointing the finger at Consagra who had already admitted he was on the island that night, "Ted" takes the spotlight off of himself, Donna and the unknown man and implicated one man, Glen Consagra in the murders of both victims.
It is also interesting to note that in her "confession" Donna tried her best to prove that other people were on the island that night and committed the murders but at the same time tried to downplay her own involvement in the killings claiming "Ted" forced the weapon used to kill Freddie into her hand and forced her to fire it showing that possibly that the above scenerio might be plausible and in fact what Donna was trying to do was clear Consagra but at the same time not implicate herself in the crime.
What do you think? - Is Glen Consagra guilty?
Later.