Patricia Wright Deserves Freedom
In 1997, Patricia Wright was sentenced to life without parole for a crime she didn’t commit. Now, she’s facing another sentence, one no judge or jury can overturn: Patricia has stage IV breast cancer, and all she wants is to spend the remainder of her days at home, with her family by her side.
Patricia was convicted of her former husband’s murder 16 years after his partially-decomposed body was found in his motor home. Willie Jerome Scott had been stabbed numerous times; there was a knife sticking out of his chest and a plastic bag covering his head. Patricia complied fully with the original investigation of the crime, and wasn’t a suspect because none of the blood or fingerprints found at the crime scene matched hers. The case was eventually abandoned.
But in 1995, the LAPD established a “cold case” task force, and after lying dormant for 14 years, Jerome’s murder became a priority case.
Several people might have had reason to murder Jerome, including his nephew, whose prints were found in the motor home. When detectives decided to pursue him in 1997, they discovered that he was serving a sentence for another violent crime, so they left him alone. Herman Cross, Jerome’s former lover (Jerome had come out of the closet shortly before he and Patricia divorced), had once been a suspect because he demonstrated intense jealousy over Jerome’s other lovers, and was a beneficiary on Jerome’s life insurance policy. But Cross died of AIDS several years after the murder, so detectives chose not to investigate his possible involvement. And the last person known to have been with Jerome, a male prostitute, was never located for questioning.
As the cold case investigation commenced, Patricia’s brother, Larry Wright, found himself facing a 12 year sentence for domestic violence and child abuse. Though Patricia had cared for Larry throughout his childhood, she had recently angered him by cutting him off financially. Desperate to avoid a long stint behind bars, Larry contacted the LAPD and signed a statement implicating his sister as the mastermind behind the murder, and a family friend as the killer. In exchange, Larry’s felony charges were dropped, and his sentence was reduced to eight months in jail.
Plagued by guilt, Larry recanted his statement when it came time to testify against Patricia. Nevertheless, prosecutors and detectives insisted that his original statement was valid.
There were no eyewitnesses nor any forensic or physical evidence to connect Patricia to the crime. In the 17 years between Jerome’s murder and Patricia’s trial, several witnesses had died or disappeared -- and the blood-stained knife that was used to kill Jerome, but carried no prints of the accused, was “lost” by homicide detectives.
Numerous family members were at home with Patricia at the time Jerome was killed, but none were given an opportunity to testify. Prosecutors claimed that Patricia’s motive was get her hands on two life insurance policies that they maintained were purchased not long before Jerome’s death. However, Jerome had only one life insurance policy worth just $30,000. A larger policy had been terminated. No consideration was given to the fact that Jerome was terminally ill and had only two months left to live at the time he was killed. Had Patricia really wanted that money (much of which went to funeral expenses), she only had to wait for nature to take its course.
Arletta Wright has spent the last 14 years advocating for her sister. Because of her tireless efforts, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has received letters from the NAACP, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Association in Defense of the Wrongfully Convicted, all of which maintain that Patricia should be released because of the many discrepancies in her trial. The Court of Appeals did grant Patricia a Certificate of Appealability based on its assessment that her constitutional rights had been violated during an unfair trial. Patricia’s family could not incur the high cost of an attorney, however, so the opportunity for an appeal was lost.
According to Arletta, Patricia is “the kind of person who will give you the clothes off her back.” When she was 18, she bought her disabled mother her first home after saving her earnings from after-school jobs for three years. One of eight children, Patricia took on the role of primary caregiver for her younger siblings when their mother passed away. Arletta recalls that Patricia often took in homeless people, and was always the first to step up when someone needed help.
In the 14 years that she’s been incarcerated, Patricia has missed her own five children’s high school graduations and weddings, as well as the births of her six grandchildren. Her family tries not to talk too much about Patricia’s case. Instead, dozens of relatives across the country regularly pray together for her wellbeing.
Patricia is now being housed at a skilled nursing unit within a California women’s prison. She hasn’t tolerated chemo well, has lost a great deal of weight and has little strength left. She’s not getting the nurturing care she needs.
There’s no reason for Patricia to remain incarcerated. She poses no risk to society and it doesn’t appear that she ever did. Further, releasing the 1,500 sickest inmates would save $500 million, notes Isaac Ontiveros, communications direct for the group Critical Resistance, echoing comments made by J. Clark Kelso, the federal receiver in charge of the state's $1.5 billion annual prison health system. Even those who listen to their wallets more than their hearts should be able to see the rationale in sending Patricia home to those who love her.
Photo Credit: Arletta Wright
Wendy Jason
is a writer for Change.org and a passionate advocate for restorative justice who has worked on behalf of prisoners across the country.
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