DEPARTMENT OF FORENSICS IV
So I called DA Bob Burrell's office to ask who had said such a stupid thing, and I was
told DA Bob Burrell had sent Downs a letter, banning me from seeing the autopsy
report. 8 months after arraigning DWM for the murder. I was told DA Bob Burrell said
not only was the case still under investigation (a stupid lie), he said if he released it to
me, he'd have to release it to everybody, and he didn't want it in the press. In other
words, he didn't see that I, a person with a guaranteed Alabama Constitutional right to
see this very type of document, had any more rights in Bob Burrell's mind than the
Decatur Daily. He also wanted to know what I wanted with the report in the first place,
as if there were something sinister about me wanting to know how my wife was killed.
Evidently Mr. Burrell thought it would be fine for me to just hear the details in open
court. Or read it in the newspaper. And Dr. Downs considered me a member of the
"public." (!!!!!)
Three years after the murder, when I very ANGRILY confronted Mr. Burrell over his
utter lack of DOING HIS DAMNED JOB, he said, "I don't remember you asking for it."
(the autopsy report) He had no apologies for failing to notify me of hearings. He didn't
even inform me of the TRIAL DATE--he just had me SUBPOENAED!!!!!!!! I told
him, since he couldn't respond in three years to a simple, reasonable request, I demanded
every single piece of information about ME he'd given to Sherman Powell. It appeared I
was going to have to defend myself, since Bob Burrell wasn't going to do it. He
responded that he didn't even know what they'd given Powell, and that it'd be a lot...
and oh, yes, he said me not getting the autopsy report "didn't have anything to do with
your rights." He made it clear he handles every case this way, and that he resented my
expectation of special treatment. Three years after the murder, DA Bob Burrell had
never bothered to read the autopsy report, and he didn't know the first thing about the
murder. His able assistant, Paul Matthews, DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ME when I
approached him at the arraignment. Because of my threat to go public with my
complaints about him, DA Burrell recused himself altogether from the case, and claimed
it was because Uncle Sparky had contacted Wesley Lavender, an assistant DA, about
Moore's confession. This was a reason that was three years old, and he'd never
evidently recognized it before.
Bob Burrell admitted to me he never had the authority to prevent ADFS from releasing
the autopsy report, as if it was Dr. Downs' fault for doing what Burrell had told him to
do. It was the blind leading the blind, and for three years my life was made worse
because of it. The end result was that the Attorney General's office prosecuted the case,
much to the chagrin of Judge Glenn Thompson.
told DA Bob Burrell had sent Downs a letter, banning me from seeing the autopsy
report. 8 months after arraigning DWM for the murder. I was told DA Bob Burrell said
not only was the case still under investigation (a stupid lie), he said if he released it to
me, he'd have to release it to everybody, and he didn't want it in the press. In other
words, he didn't see that I, a person with a guaranteed Alabama Constitutional right to
see this very type of document, had any more rights in Bob Burrell's mind than the
Decatur Daily. He also wanted to know what I wanted with the report in the first place,
as if there were something sinister about me wanting to know how my wife was killed.
Evidently Mr. Burrell thought it would be fine for me to just hear the details in open
court. Or read it in the newspaper. And Dr. Downs considered me a member of the
"public." (!!!!!)
Three years after the murder, when I very ANGRILY confronted Mr. Burrell over his
utter lack of DOING HIS DAMNED JOB, he said, "I don't remember you asking for it."
(the autopsy report) He had no apologies for failing to notify me of hearings. He didn't
even inform me of the TRIAL DATE--he just had me SUBPOENAED!!!!!!!! I told
him, since he couldn't respond in three years to a simple, reasonable request, I demanded
every single piece of information about ME he'd given to Sherman Powell. It appeared I
was going to have to defend myself, since Bob Burrell wasn't going to do it. He
responded that he didn't even know what they'd given Powell, and that it'd be a lot...
and oh, yes, he said me not getting the autopsy report "didn't have anything to do with
your rights." He made it clear he handles every case this way, and that he resented my
expectation of special treatment. Three years after the murder, DA Bob Burrell had
never bothered to read the autopsy report, and he didn't know the first thing about the
murder. His able assistant, Paul Matthews, DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ME when I
approached him at the arraignment. Because of my threat to go public with my
complaints about him, DA Burrell recused himself altogether from the case, and claimed
it was because Uncle Sparky had contacted Wesley Lavender, an assistant DA, about
Moore's confession. This was a reason that was three years old, and he'd never
evidently recognized it before.
Bob Burrell admitted to me he never had the authority to prevent ADFS from releasing
the autopsy report, as if it was Dr. Downs' fault for doing what Burrell had told him to
do. It was the blind leading the blind, and for three years my life was made worse
because of it. The end result was that the Attorney General's office prosecuted the case,
much to the chagrin of Judge Glenn Thompson.