PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "He also said he still wants to see Cedar Park Police Chief Sean Mannix and Sgt. Chris Dailey fired. The Police Department declined to comment Wednesday. Dailey testified in a hearing in 2017 that he did not visit the day care facility, take photographs, question other people who had access to the boy who made the accusation against Kelley, collect evidence or consider other suspects. Since then, the city of Cedar Park — following recommendations from an independent review — has created a special victims unit dedicated to the investigation of sexual assault, child abuse and elderly abuse, and also added detectives as well as management and supervisory staff. Kelley said he would never have been declared innocent without King and Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick interceding in his case. Kelley said after he was convicted that his attorney presented evidence of his innocence to then-Williamson County Attorney Jana Duty, now deceased, but she said there was nothing that would ever get him out of prison. Dick reopened the investigation after he took office in 2017. Dick said after the court hearing Wednesday that “we were able at least to get to the truth of whether or not Greg Kelley should have been convicted and whether or not the trial was held appropriately.” “Unfortunately,” Dick said, “we were unable to get to the ultimate answer of what happened to the child.”"
STORY:"Greg Kelley smiled Wednesday after District Judge Donna King formally proclaimed his innocence. He then shook the hand of his attorney, Keith Hampton, and got a tissue to blow his nose and wipe away tears. Kelley then turned to the packed courtroom and addressed his supporters, who moments earlier had erupted with applause when King said he was “fully exonerated.” “God is good,” he said. “Amen.” Kelley then praised his family, his fiancee, his attorney, the judge and his friends. He said women like his fiancee, Gaebri Anderson, whom he will marry Jan. 19, only exist in movies. “You carried the burden of being attached to me when the whole world was calling me a monster,” he said. “You kept me alive. Kelley, 24, was convicted in 2014 of the super aggravated sexual assault of a 4-year-old boy at a Cedar Park day care and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was released in 2017 on appeal after prosecutors said new evidence showed there were two other viable suspects. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals exonerated Kelley in early November. As part of the process, his case was sent back to district court to get his indictment dismissed. King declared his innocence at Wednesday’s hearing, a necessary step for Kelley to qualify for compensation under the state’s Wrongful Incarceration Act for the three years he spent in prison. Kelley could receive as much as $250,000, his attorney said. Kelley thanked Hampton in court Wednesday for “believing in me when I was the most broken. “Thank you for taking this on when you had no idea what you were getting into,” Kelley said. “You are a superhero.” He also praised Jake Brydon, a former Cedar Park resident who paid for Hampton to defend Kelley and helped organize hundreds of people to rally in Kelley’s defense. “You had no idea who I was after my conviction,” Kelley said. “But you called my broken mother and promised her you would do everything you could to fight for me.” He also spoke about the boy who had accused Kelley of sexually assaulting him. “For the victim, I am sorry you have to go through this,” Kelley said. “Believe me, your opinion matters. Kelley said for six years he has had to fight the justice system to prove he did not commit the crime, but that he also had to fight to prove to the victim he did not do it. Kelley said he was “absolutely terrified” in prison but that his faith in Jesus helped him survive. “I fell in love with getting to know Jesus because he was the place I could find peace in the middle of hate. Judge King told the court that declaring Kelley innocent was the most she could do to “undo the damage done.” She said she could not reclaim the years Kelley had lost, or restore his life to what it was when he was a senior in high school. Kelley was a Leander High School football star when he was arrested. After the hearing, he said he still wants to play football and has been in training for two years. He also said he still wants to see Cedar Park Police Chief Sean Mannix and Sgt. Chris Dailey fired. The Police Department declined to comment Wednesday. Dailey testified in a hearing in 2017 that he did not visit the day care facility, take photographs, question other people who had access to the boy who made the accusation against Kelley, collect evidence or consider other suspects. Since then, the city of Cedar Park — following recommendations from an independent review — has created a special victims unit dedicated to the investigation of sexual assault, child abuse and elderly abuse, and also added detectives as well as management and supervisory staff. Kelley said he would never have been declared innocent without King and Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick interceding in his case. Kelley said after he was convicted that his attorney presented evidence of his innocence to then-Williamson County Attorney Jana Duty, now deceased, but she said there was nothing that would ever get him out of prison. Dick reopened the investigation after he took office in 2017. Dick said after the court hearing Wednesday that “we were able at least to get to the truth of whether or not Greg Kelley should have been convicted and whether or not the trial was held appropriately.” “Unfortunately,” Dick said, “we were unable to get to the ultimate answer of what happened to the child.""
The entire story can be read at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
