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Jeff Havard currently sits wrongfully convicted on death row in Mississippi for a crime that never happened. He has recently been granted an evidentiary hearing based on new evidence in his favor, but the hearing is not set to take place until August of 2017. The Committee to Free Jeff Havard, a group I am a part of, has set up a gofundme account with the hope of helping to fund Jeff’s prison canteen as he waits for his hearing.
Jeff has had the support of his family since the beginning. Throughout Jeff’s life, he developed a special relationship with his grandparents, Billy and Ruby. Jeff went to live with them when he was 13-years-old, spending his crucial teen years gaining positive influence from two people that he will forever cherish.
For 13 years, Billy and Ruby saw to it that Jeff had money in his prison canteen. Unfortunately, Jeff’s grandfather passed away in March of 2015. His grandmother has done everything in her power to continue funding Jeff’s canteen on her own, but she is currently unable to continue doing so.
Jeff spends 23 ½ hours a day locked up alone in his prison cell. The living conditions at Mississippi State Penitentiary are rough. The food is often unbearable. The poor sanitary conditions of the prison kitchens made headlines in July, when the prison’s largest kitchen was shut down by the state after reports of roaches, rodents, flooding, dirty rusty food trays and general uncleanliness.
The goal of the gofundme campaign is to make sure that Jeff continues to have access to basic necessities as he eagerly awaits his chance to prove his innocence. When Jeff has money in his canteen, he can purchase packaged food that he can eat in his cell. He can also purchase hygiene items, writing instruments, and other basic supplies. Our $2000 goal will properly fund Jeff’s canteen until his hearing in 2017.
Jeff’s Case
Jeff Havard was wrongfully convicted in 2002 and sent to death row for a crime that never happened. The charges against Jeff are disturbing but have no merit. Jeff’s conviction was secured on the false premise that he sexually assaulted his girlfriend’s infant daughter, which resulted in the child’s death due to Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). The truth is the infant slipped from Jeff’s arms while lifting her from the tub, causing her head to hit the nearby toilet. The blunt force trauma caused a fatal brain hemorrhage. There was absolutely no evidence of a sexual assault or SBS. The death was an accident, not a murder.
There are currently 6 well qualified experts who support Jeff’s claims. There are currently no experts who support the prosecution’s theory.
There is new evidence to show that the infant’s death may have resulted from a preexisting subdural hemorrhage resulting from a traumatic birth. This preexisting medical condition left Chloe vulnerable to illness or injury from a minor impact.
There is also new evidence regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome that was not available at the time of Jeff’s trial. Cases of subdural hemorrhage and injury from short falls have been notably misdiagnosed as SBS in past cases. Multiple experts have now reviewed Jeff’s case that have concluded that the infant’s death was not the result of violent shaking.
This extensive new expert evidence along with a new revelation of Brady violations committed by the prosecution, completely crumbles the case against Jeff Havard. Thankfully, this new evidence has led to an evidentiary hearing. But for now, Jeff continues to wait.
Please visit www.freeJeffreyHavard.org to learn more about Jeff’s case.
Jeff greatly appreciates the support that he receives. If you are able, please consider helping Jeff continue to cope with daily prison life by making a donation to fund his canteen: https://www.gofundme.com/jeffhavard.
All funds collected, minus the 5% gofundme fee, will go directly to Jeff’s commissary account (canteen). All funds from this campaign are managed by the Committee to Free Jeff Havard, in association with Injustice Anywhere.