By Victoria Hewlett
When the public becomes fixated on something, we all know how quickly facts get left behind for popular rumors, prominent special-interest agendas and ideologies. Sometimes, public opinion is wrong.
That’s just what happened to Eddie O’Brien according to Margo Nash, former bar counsel and guardian ad litem in the 1995 case of a 15 year-old boy who was convicted of first degree murder. She believes he was innocent, and that a corrupted judicial system stood in the way of his fair defense. The infamous O’Brien case is currently under review by the Innocence Program who is investigating.
Eddie was charged in the mid-90s, when political fervor was ramping up against “super-predators”, a racially-charged term to refer to homicidal inner city youths.
O’Brien was a white, Catholic teenager…and he might have been the perfect target for a political win for the prosecution. Was there a concerted effort to ignore the evidence against Eddie O’Brien being the murderer of Janet Downing? Nash thinks so.
The Politics of Murder, Nash’s thrilling investigative book on the O’Brien case, paints the picture of a corrupted judicial system which convicted an innocent boy to advance a political agenda.
Nash’s side of the story hardly leaves any piece of evidence unaddressed. She has gone back and entirely reinvestigated the case, piecing together an over-arching political influence behind the failure of O’Brien’s defense, an important part that she says she missed the first time.
Margo explains her conviction to stick with the case and to work so tirelessly to prove Eddie’s innocence in her book:
“I have often cringed at the realization that I completely missed the big picture twenty years ago. But to be fair, the big picture took years to develop and emerge into a legible image…today, I finally understand what actually happened to Eddie O’Brien and who he has spent more than half of his life behind bars.”
Nash argues that the person who tried the case against Eddie O’Brien, the county’s District Attorney at the time, had political motives to use Eddie’s case to reform juvenile criminal justice law and put himself into a position to run for Attorney General. She has done her homework and provided incredible evidence and a compelling narrative to tell that side of the story.
Even at the time that Eddie’s case was decided, controversy was brewing over the apparent lack of investigation into the brother-in-law of Janet Downing. An article in the editorial South Coast Today, posted in 1997, commented:
“His parents’ anger with the verdict was directed at investigators who they said did not seriously investigate Janet Downing’s brother-in-law whom she apparently had evicted from her house several months before the crime.” (http://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/19971002/news/310029911)
Those protests from O’Brien’s parents, then just another element of the great public spectacle the case turned out to be, are explored in-depth in Nash’s Politics of Murder. In fact, she lays out exactly how she believes corruption within the judicial system led to evidence being systematically ignored and Eddie O’Brien being targeted and framed.
Is it true? Margo Nash certainly outlines a well-investigated and well thought-out theory as to why she thinks it is. She also holds with her the testimony of several who worked closely on the case who confirmed that they believed in Eddie’s innocence.
Enough evidence has been brought forward to put Eddie’s case on the list for the Innocence Program, an organization which works to appeal wrongful conviction cases and get innocent people out of prison.
Nash’s work to uncover the truth behind this case picks apart the legal evidence and proceedings, but it goes even further. This book paints the image of the context in which this trial happened to show readers just what happened to fool the Boston public into thinking an innocent 15-year-old boy was guilty of murder.
Whether you buy the story she uncovered or not, Nash’s masterful feat of weaving together this story should give pause to anyone who trusts the integrity of the judicial system. Nash shows just how easily the social networks of powerful people within a local court system can lead to an influential person manipulating the process and infringing on the rights of ordinary Americans.
From biased appointments to the court to political intimidation to key figures on the case or to general masking of the real story with rhetorical games and legal tricks, Nash shows just how realistic political corruption in the court is.
The central argument of The Politics of Murder depends on the former Middlesex District Attorney, Thomas J. Reilly, former governor of Massachusetts, William Weld, and their political aspirations to run for Attorney General and US Senator.
Imagine being in a particular political moment when the public was in a frenzy over perceived danger in the streets from young, soulless, homicidal “super-predators” who threatened to unweave the very fabric of society. Imagine being in a moment in which the pressure was on to change policy so certain juveniles would be tried as adults in the criminal justice system.
Now imagine the opportunity Thomas J. Reilly and William Weld, both politicians aspiring for a higher office, saw in the Eddie O’Brien case. Here was a young 15-year-old who looked like he may be guilty of a sadistic crime. Try and convict this kid, use it as political leverage to make the juvenile system stricter and win political points with your constituents that will turn into votes later.
And when it looked like that kid might not have been guilty after all, when evidence to the contrary comes up, they just had to use their respective powers to influence to case to their advantage.
Thomas Reilly, in an unprecedented move to personally try a case as District Attorney, took on the Eddie O’Brien case himself. With the help of the O’Brien case, Governor Weld would sign into law a Bill that required anyone aged 14, 15 or 16 charged with murder to be tried as an adult. Governor Weld would also nominate a key figure in the O’Brien case that Nash argues was biased against the defendant.
It wasn’t hard to see the interests merging, the political actions taken as a result of the case, and just how the conviction of Eddie O’Brien would be convenient for a number of powerful people.
It looks like Eddie O’Brien is going to get another chance to make his case and prove his innocence. Margo Nash believes so much in O’Brien’s innocence that she put together a comprehensive image of political corruption in the legal system.
O’Brien has spent over 21 years in jail for a crime that he and others close to him maintain he didn’t commit. His trial was headed by a prosecution team who was great at playing the legal system, but Margo Nash has unearthed new evidence that warrants a full investigation on the decades-old case.
Margo speaks highly of Eddie O’Brien, a man who she calls “a good man, a spiritual man, a forgiving man”. She says she has kept in touch with the 35-year old and his parents, and that he helped her piece together the puzzle of the O’Brien case in order to write this book.
In the opening pages of The Politics of Murder, she introduces his case as one which “would turn out to be the catalyst which changed juvenile law in Massachusetts and sent children to adult prisons for the rest of their natural lives. It also catapulted political careers and perverted the orderly administration of justice that he (Eddie), his parents, and I, until then, all very much believed in.”
The Politics of Murder very much could be the first time that the story of Eddie O’Brien, from the fateful night that led to his conviction through the legal proceedings that followed, has been told in all honesty. His story swept the news in the mid-1990s, but it’s likely that the public by-and-large was seeing only half of the story.
Was everyone from the public to the defense team blinded by a thin veil hiding deep corruption? Has Eddie O’Brien, charged at 15 years old, spent 21 years in prison as an innocent man and a victim of political ambition?
You can read Margo Nash’s book for yourself and decide. The Politics of Murder is now available for on Wild Blue Press’s website here. (https://wildbluepress.com/the-politics-of-murder-margo-nash-true-crime/) and on http://www.Amazon.com.
I was home on disability from work and I watched this entire case. At the end I said that he was going home. Wrong. 12 MA’s morons found Eddie guilty. That’s one state I would never want to stand trial in. I have no peers there. And the government is as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.
Whether or not Eddie did it, bottom line is that he did not receive a fair trial. Evidence was ignored, and there were too many politics tied to this case. I grew up in the area in the 90s. I remember all of this very clearly. I find it shady that Artie will never answer when asked about dealing drugs out of Janet’s house. I have heard from people who live in the neighborhood that this was in fact true. Janet did kick him out for that reason. I am not saying Artie did it, but the fact that he had a negative history with Janet and the family is suspect for sure.
No one
Hi why don’t you use ya real name
Eddie O’Brien was found guilty of murderer by his jury, he will serve his life sentence without parole ; https://law.justia.com/cases/massachusetts/supreme-court/volumes/423/423mass841.html
He did it. I was in jail with this kid when he first went in. He shouldn’t have been in prison at that age with us adult inmates. This kid was just that a scared kid. Shit he stabbed her over 90 times and the job they gave him in the kitchen was with butcher knife chopping salad( morons). This kid should’ve gotten some kind of homicide charge but not murder 1 even though it required that charge by law. He was a kid he should’ve did some serious time in mental institution then one day paid for his crime. Now with that being said that scumbag district attorney thomas j Reilly was and is corrupt. He rail roaded that poor kid instead of getting him help and true justice . He used this case to get elected attorney general. For those of you that say I’m full of shit, ok before this case he took me a very good student and highschool athlete and a few of my family members and tried to accuse us of a horrendous crime we had nothing to do with. All on the word of a coke dealer looking at over 90 years for drug possession. He tried to use us to get to be attorney general but he failed cause we had nothing to do with it like we said. I’d like to say they totally screwed Edward cause they didn’t do him or either family any real justice. But he did this ,but he should’ve gotten help and one day faced it like a man not a 15/16 year old child that happened to commit a hideous crime . He wasnt mentally or emotionally developed enough to comprehend all of what happened and that he had caused. Eddie I’m glad noone seriously hurt you in prison kid but one day you have to admit and face your demon.
👍 you tell’em Artie these frigging cowards like to toss innocent names around than they run an hide , only the guilty run an hide , where’s Eddie hide in his cell , guilty ? love the names Slim shady , Krystal Ball , here come da’ judge , Judge of the people , some real “ thug “ names coming from some real scum people , seriously like who thinks of those names ex-cons , in Charlestown people use their true names it’s calked “ Honor “ something you’ll never have Eddie !
Well said brother ❤️
As long as I alive iam willing to talk to real people about the case so just keep up all the lies Boston st. Artie
THERE IS NO STATUTE OF LIMITATION FOR MURDER. Same high profile case, lawyer, female victim, injuries, drug dealer exposed, naive fall guy set up to take the fall so criminals can avoid justice. Same witness suppression and intimidation, political ambitions of prosecutors at the cost of innocent lives and their families. Fall guys were in the wrong place at the same time, same prison, same sentence. Continue to pursue The Innocent Project until you get results.
You cowards can’t even use ya real so witch O’Brien are you can’t be Eddie. Ask me and I will answer any questions you have I don’t hide and I will never from ray pack of lies and Gina Mahoney
Come on you got to have better than that , it took you 25 years to think of that , Slim you sound like a bit shady of a character , have you been keeping up to date with your meds , you Clown your all over the place you sound like a FB lawyer LMAO , say Hi to Eddie on your next lock-up , you sound like a frequent client of MCI ….✌️
It’s a well known fact that the victim was having issues with her sister’s boyfriend who was an alleged drug dealer. Was he also a drug informant? A local paper stated that this so called drug dealer crossed the yellow tape in order to retrieve his car keys later that day after the body was discovered. If that’s true, what does that say about this case? Was he the driver of a cab parked behind the property where he earlier fled on foot, covered in blood which was also allegedly found near his cab? The prosecutor was know for his bad reputation. Cases win elections, especially exploited ones. Ask anyone who lives in Cape Fraud. There was another case involving a day care center in Malden, same prosecutor, same AG. The owner of the daycare was married to a bad cop who retaliated against her because she was a successful woman who was running a lucrative business. It was a total witch hunt which years later, justice prevailed but not soon enough. After the corrupt cabal put family members in jail, including bad cop’s wife, they were released but never was there a statement of their innocence. I believe one of two of the family members died in jail. So it would be no surprise whatsoever, to find out that this case was similar in the way an innocent person was railroaded in order to hide political corruption. It happens everyday. It’s who you know and what you can get away with around here, more than what the average person wants to comprehend. Well, I believe that way of life is going to change. If testimony from her neighbors was suppressed, that alone is cause to open this case up again and this time, have a competent team lead it. The families deserve justice as well as Eddie and so do the people of Somerville. Deanna’s case needs closer inspection as well. More dirt there, imo. Famous words of a famous lawyer, “If I put 100 witnesses on the stand, it would have ruined their lives”. Many of those witnesses were cops.
Slim shady if that’s ya real you have no clue about I was the victim brother-in-law. You and that rat pack on Boston st and that loud mouth lier Gina Mahoney should at least try and get ya shit together. And why hide behind a fake name not like me my name is Artie Ortiz.
Also you can listen to the interview I had on the pod cast called true crime garage to come out any day I have no reason to hide behind a fake name you don’t have the balls to say ya real just keep lieing 😂
What’s wrong slim you done running your lie in ass mouth????
Just what I tough you have nothing true to say
You morons keep trying , your lies have been proven to be all baseless , your accusations are nothing but trash , you’ve been denied by every court appeal, every innocent project program has told you to take a hike , Eddie O’Brien is an will always be the murderer , he’s nothing but a coward ,evidence has always shown
& proven he’s the coward who murdered an innocent mother , both his mother & father both knew from that very night he did it , wonder who went an got all the evidence he left in the neighbors yard , where he washed himself off after his brutal crime proven in court , ( only one person talked with Eddie after he committed this crime , hmmm ) Regina Mahoney is nothing but a neighborhood crackpot , please read any of her post on Facebook , she’s a fruitcake ! …..good luck , please at less put your real name on your post next time coward ! Next …..
https://casetext.com/case/ortiz-v-time-warner-inc
“To this end, the defense offered the testimony of Regina Mahoney (“Mahoney”), the victim’s neighbor. Mahoney testified that on the night of the murder, Ortiz asked if he could use her phone. The trial court judge did not allow Mahoney to testify that the victim had told her that ever since the victim had thrown Ortiz out of her house in March 1995 for dealing drugs, he acted with hostility towards her and she was afraid of him. The defense also presented the testimony of Virginia Reckley (“Reckley”), the victim’s neighbor, who stated that she heard a noise from the victim’s stair area between 8:15 and 8:30 on the night of the murder. As this sound indicated the time that the victim was murdered, the defense argued that Eddie could not have committed the murder”.
The person who had motive was the drug dealer who returned to the scene of the crime to collect his keys and was allowed to cross over the evidence, as written in past articles.
Krystal you have clue what happen
Keep up the lies with ya fake names come out come who ever you are
THEY*
Eddie is exactly where he belongs, Shame on all of you people trying to fight to get him released, after what he put the downing family through, how can you even look yourself in the mirror, fighting to release him, so he can do it again to someone else’s family. Mass. Should have had the death penalty, then it would actually have been justice. You people raised a creepy sadistic psychopath, who was creepily and scarily obsessed with his friends mother, instead of brushing it under the rug and acting like it was no big deal you should have acted and got him the help he needed then. He deserves to rot in jail for the rest of his days, he deserves more then that. THE DOWNING FAMILY DESERVES PEACE, THAT DO NOT DESERVE TO HAVE THIS DRUDGED BACK UP AND HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE EMOTIONS OF LOOSING JANET ALL OVER AGAIN. YOU PEOPLE ARE SICK AND HAVE NO SOUL!!!!
You cowards like to throw names around when it’s signed “ Anonymous or a name you don’t recognize “ but when a name is signed on there defending a family name, you cowards run an hide with your tail up your backside , typical wouldn’t expect anything else from a bunch of coward lairs ✌️
Are you really that scared to face me an the truth , why do you keep deleting me , didn’t they teach anything in law school ,youan open dialogue is always a good thing , best way to prove someone is a lair “ when they continue to hide , but there’s no hiding on social media “ your whole group of people are as guilty him ….it’ll be proven , your a failure with the truth , an your lies well they’ll just catch up one day , it’s call Karma
Politics of Murder first off no ones hiding under a fake name you just block any response you dislike , your a friggin lair boy you really think your good at this being a lair thing , I’ll write a post reply anywhere you post , you will not drag our family name though this issue any longer without a response from me , no ones looking for 15 mins of fame no one asked to be dragged in to this sociopaths murder , why do you hide from me you coward you scared people will hear the real truth , you write a book with lies, twisting the true facts , assumptions, an hearsay from a lady who was never even friends with the victim ( more lies ) come open a page let’s debate this an your issues, let people hear both sides , your all nothing but cowards , they still think they can bully people , as they have their whole life in Somerville, well people are not staying quiet anymore , Somerville knows ( except one st still in denial) the truth come on up there with your social readings face the truth , you don’t have what it takes , cowards hide that’s just what your doing ….this is not just noise or fake noise this is the truth , face it let’s do it…I am not writing this under the direction of anyone this is in defence of a family member who is innocent of any claim you make without evidence , if words are your evidence you suck as a lawyer ,this is in defence of our family name , you are a classic lair , I’m always available if you’d like to talk face to face , phone line , pony express anything ….people would just like to know why Artie ! Artie worked with the investigation, he gave his alibi which proved to be true , he gave his blood , hair , fingerprints , he had no wounds ,scratches , blood , wet clothing , Thats everything your client had on him an what he left in the house , O an the big one his fake robbery getting stabbed lol (Bingo) , Artie did everything the FBI an State Police asked for , he never had anything to hide , he complied with anything they needed , life for a life means just that an he’ll serve it out till his last day ….
Margo Nash your a classic lair ,you think anyone believes a word you say , I’ll post my thoughts on any forum post you write in , I’ll be right behind you any time you post another lie about our family , I don’t need anyone to tell me what to write or to whom , you scumbags started this remember that , for someone that claims to be lawyer you got to be one of the stupidest lawyers around , are you people just taught to lie do you have any morals what so ever , you defend a sociopath murderer whom you know is guilty as all hell , shame on you it’s all about the money $$ your just being paid to be the scum you are , open your page i have no problem putting my name stamp on any post i write ( stop blocking me ) you’ll never do it your to scared of people hearing the truth , why you preventing people from our side of the story , your all cowards , come on let’s debate this you coward , enjoy your jail visits remember life with our parole will stand till he’s rolled out of there…. thank you
How’s defending ones self trying to get 15 mins of fame , remember you started this , we’ll always be one step behind you defending our family name , we have more family values then you losers will ever have , just seeing the crap you all post is low class trash , again enjoy your visits
Open your pages you cowards ,you scared people will hear the truth , your nothing but cowards you started this , you brought an innocent person into your family’s darma , we will not go away , you hide down the Cape with your bull crap social readings come up here , your just cowards the whole bunch of you ,you want to accuse an innocent person of a crime he had nothing to do withbut yet your scared to face them , why ? Cause your running from the truth …but he’s not he’ll be locked up for life , enjoy your visits , out peace
Scumbag you deserve every last day you spend in lock up , enjoy your view ( 4 walls)
25 years later , an now your throwing the race card into this case , teens killing teens gang bangers killing each other on the other side of Boston have nothing to do with what this kid did , you people are the scum of this earth , all the evidence in this case lead to just one person , thank God for our court system of this scum would still be on the streets praying on innocent woman , got exactly what he deserved…. Rot in Prison
Who are you anonymous? Afraid to be known? Ray ? Artie?
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2014/01/21/somerville-erin-downing-petition/
Nash…..Monday morning quarterbacking! This book was written to make the lawyer look like an idiot and for the murderer to get sympathy from the Innocence Project. Nash you should be ashamed of yourself!
My uncle is the brother in law. He would not hurt anybody. He is harmless. The person who murdered Janet is where he. Belongs! I pray that Eddie will ROT IN JAIL! My uncle is Innocent. Eddie’s parents will point the finger at about just to get there murderer son out of jail. Who ever wrote this is delusional! Where are your FACTS? WHERE IS YOUR EVIDENCE? KEEP TRYING! HE WILL NEVER GET OUT OF JAIL!
Absolute book of fiction. OBrien killed the woman without any doubt. Anything to make a buck.
Rayo
MARCH 18, 2017 AT 1:51 PM
http://robertgeorgelaw.com/commentary.asp So now you all want to call the most sort after high profile Lawyer in Massachusetts incompetent, just because he lost your case doesn’t make him incompetent, he just never realized how smart this Jury was , Is every Lawyer who lost a case incompetent ? A lawyer can only come up with so many false fabrications before he even knows , this Jury is not believing my theory, This Lawyer had one of the most vivid imaginations in the courtroom , this guy had all the Ts crossed n Is’ dotted , He Just lost another high profile case , The Jury got it ……not incompetent
http://masslawyersweekly.com/wp-files/pdfs/ma/Briefs/obrien.htm
This kids is a cold blooded murderer politics didn’t kill this victim Eddie Obrien did , politics didn’t pick up the knife an stab the victim 90 times Eddie Obrien did , you have the balls saying this kid was over charged , 1st degree murder fits this crime an he was convicted on all counts justice fit the crime , Margo Nash you have nothing but blood money in your hands , shame on people like you looking to make a buck off a murder case as vicious as this , this family & lawyers are a disgrace to our Court System , He’ll answer for his crime by God Almighty himself …..
So true
Thank you for saving me the cost of this book , heard your interview on the radio , you have to be the dumbest so called lawyer I ever heard speak , you studded your whole interview, couldn’t get your facts straight, miss informed , mislead the radio host about all the evidence against this murderer , again lots of I think this, maybe this , you in your own words put this kid in two different places at the same time , one being stabbed by some so called robbers blocks away ,at the same time sitting on his porch just decided to walk to the victims house ,knowing no ones there (all gone to the beach) falls upon a murder , what an lucky day , poor kid , 20 years have past an still they can’t figure out their own lies , sad , almost got murdered himself for $17 then seen a murder all in a 5 minute span , hmmmm ….lifeforalife
Well then your reading post that are not directed towards you , all meant for the writers of this book , sorry if your offended , not looking for a war with anyone , just my opinions…. Merry Christmas
Radio show..?? Not me. You couldn’t pay me enough. This will be my last post because you just set the bar too low. If you are looking for a battle of wits you are woefully unarmed.
You have yourself a wonderful holiday season, I know I will.
There’s no truth in this book it’s a book a 4th grader could of wrote , it’s just a book full of a 1000 questions & lots of assumptions, no proven facts cause any court would just toss any of your meaningless questions out , o as a matter of fact they did just that , but anyways no thanks on the flu shot I’ll get it at the doctors office …… our post must really annoy you cause your getting more n more pissed off , must be hitting a nerve , can’t take criticism over this badly written book …
Amen
Have you been inoculated yet for your irrationality and simpleness..?? It’s kind of like getting the flu shot but is administered by a proctologist. Your lack of any type of knowledge and literacy is astounding..!! You had a simple request to read the “truth book” to garner the facts and all around truth regarding the horrible injustice that put Eddie in jail ( which his shackles will be discarded sooner than later), but you choose to make a jackass of yourself time after time. Your ignorance is on display as I believe you haven’t read a book since you have been a little tyke and for fear of realizing who really murdered Janet. Go back to your sandbox and when you can put on your big boy pants come back and post your brainless comments. I know it’s tough to actually concentrate on the facts instead of posting witless garbage that has nothing to do with the evidence. The misinformation that was fed to you since you were a little boy is grounded in a gene pool the size of a puddle.
So this book is about a vicious murder , a kid in jail convicted of 1st degree murder , spending the rest of his life in jail , your hosting a radio show an your highlight line is ” come an listen let’s have some fun ” we know where you stand it’s all about the $$$ , there’s no Fun in a murder case , “just the facts ma’am nothing but the facts , not FUN !!!! Bad choice of words
Ya , your theory went out with trash 20 yrs ago , Richard George playing dress up ( cover ) , reincarnated after sleeping with the mafia , he was a class act…what does it say when someone’s own lawyer also gets convicted of a crime….I might be wrong but quote ” he won’t spend a day longer in there as long as I can help it “
Thank you Sir , an Happy New Year to all …will check her theory
Just read the book. Facts are hard to deny. You just spew hatred because this book “hits home with you”.We all know that Reilly brainwashed many people and tried Eddie in the newspaper for two long years. He never had a chance,because of the publicity this case garnered. Reilly generated all these lies to eventually run for Attorney General. Eddie was the perfect patsy.He was framed from day one. Nothing will change your mind, so continue to ask questions that the book answers in great detail.Spend the thirteen bucks the book costs to get the FACTS that will answer your questions.( I know what your response to that will be) In the meantime have fun posting lies and using your brainwashed mind to illicit lies and hatred. You seem to have prejudiced knowledge about this fiasco. Why is that???? Is it because you have been influenced by those who don’t want the truth to be revealed…??? Have at it and continue your roaring rage and uninformed conclusions.I feel bad for the Downing family but don’t you think that they deserve to know who the real murderer is..? You can’t justify lies and corrupted DNA from a State Lab Tech who has been proven to be a liar and sent innocent people to jail. Look up the “Michael Sullivan” case and tell me what you think about the integrity of the technician that handled both the Sullivan case and the O’Brien case. It is mind boggling….!!!!..
Merry Christmas….!!!!!
Eddie is the real killer
In your circle of people , please lay out all the facts on physical evidence , eyewitness accounts , explain all the lies on how this murderer claims he was at two locations at the same time , explain how his blood was around the house with his bloody prints , his blood found on the sidewalk leading from the back of the house , please show a jury any evidence that leads to another murder an or murderers , don’t tell us how the courts fought to have this trial in adult court , sorry that don’t change the facts or evidence of this murder , theres no hatred here , don’t even know this kid or family ( thank God ) just the facts , his next judge to answer will be God ! Just the truth please , no assumptions, heresy , or I think this …. please explain
We all know where all these nasty comments are coming from. One person using different names. Good luck with the hatred you have for those finally telling the truth about Eddie. You might think you are making a difference, but you just show the ignorance that is inbred in you. Like it or not but Eddie will be home sooner than you think. We know nothing will change your mind and we know why. Why hide behind different names??
LMFAO! Eddie will DIE IN JAIL! HE IS WHERE A MURDER BELONGS!
I won’t hide hope he rots in hell
You show your ignorance of the facts presented at his trial. Your complete close mindedness is appalling.
Thank you. For your time, energy and hard work. Many of us know the truth not just about Eddie but about the many many folks who are serving life sentences for crimes they did not commit. Eddie was a political pawn but he is a real person with a loving dedicated family. They all deserve justice. We can not give them back 21 years but perhaps they can finally be vindicated.
He doesn’t deserve those 21 years back! He is a murderer!
What about justice for Janet. Rot in hell Eddie
This book is not about the quilt or innocents of Eddie Obrien , it’s all about the new law passed in Massachusetts believing all juveniles convicted of 1st degree murder in adult court deserve a 2nd chance , well this case does not fall in that category , this murderer was convicted of a gross henous vicious murder , this is just one of many ploys his family is trying to use just to get him out , this is not all about him being innocent , there is no new evidence in this case , his blood , physical evidence & lies by him & his lawyer, an great case work by our court system convicted this murderer ….Life for a Life
Eddie is a stone cold killer…All the facts came out at the trial…What are you being paid for this BS????
This is nothing but blood money on the writers hands , politics didn’t kill Janet Downing , Eddie Obrien did this with his own hands , this is just another crusade by a bunch of moonbats , because the courts & the law fought hard to have this trial in adult court , right where it belonged , hes right where he belongs he’s guilty as charged , when he admits what he did unfortunately the parole might have pity an let him loose , that’s the suck part of our system …. but he’ll never be innocent of this crime
ok then who is this brother in law? go look for him..
The brother in law did nothing.
Steve iam the brother in law if you know Steve eugene and Paul then you would know that I was married to their sister when eddie killed Janet so what’s up with your comment
What’s up with the comment is; they should have looked closer at you than zeroing in on a 15 year old kid. Janet was scared of you!!!!! You had been harassing her before she was murder.
So giving blood , fingerprints , hair , and being interviewed by the state police was not enough , your boy Eddie is a cold blooded murderer , an your old lady is nothing but lair trying to help free a murderer , who should be charged with perjury ….. know the true facts not a book of misleading assumptions , hearsay & lies , anyone can write a book an print what they like , but the proof is in the pudding , yum
You people can’t handle the truth Eddie killed her and you all know it I am no punching bag he will rot in hell dirt bag
I am the brother in law what they think have they are dead wrong rot in hell Eddie
I am the brother in law Steve
It’s actually the Innocence Program, the Massachusetts program.
There is no innocence here…GUILTY…..
I have always believed in his innocence.
Stone cold murderer , this is a perfect case why Massachusetts needs the death penalty back in law , Politics didn’t murder this women , Eddie O’Brien did stop trying to deflect his Guilt with politics…..murderer
Your abs rite!
It’s Innocence PROJECT, not Program.
I have had many conversations with Eddie and have spoken with more than my share of stone cold criminals and a stone cold criminal he is not.
If this man has spent 21 years in prison due to political corruption that is a crime in itself, and those responsible for the loss of 21 years of his life should be put behind bars for destroying this man’s life. If this is true then I hope the truth is uncovered sooner rather than later so Mr. O’Brien can be released ASAP, and live the rest of his life as a free man.
He destroyed his own life
i know this – i know eugene and steve solimene janet downngs brothers. i was sad and felt their pain. he used to have such an
obesession with janet he saw her in her bedroom window with a
telescope. i also remember him working midnite convenience
on the weekend seemed like a decent kid. more people have
demons than you know …. when i went to sunday mass at
st josephs i saw him in his robe. i dont know what your
trying to prove with this book but mr obrien will rot away in
prison til he dies. oh btw his grandfather was either a captian
or chief for the spd in the 50’s. justice was done.