The Uncensored voice of an innocent man from behind Ohio prison walls. https://www.justicenews.net/forum/buried-alive-bryant-rhoades
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"Buried Alive"
An Innocent Man's Life in Prison
My name is Bryant L. Rhoades. I am 31 years old. I was born and raised in Indiana, and lived in a small town called Saratoga. I grew up with my little brother Keith and my mom. Around the age of 12, my dad got custody of myself and my brother and he lived in Union City, Ohio. My father owned a small farm so my brother and I loved it, we were able to do "guy" stuff with dad and learn how to work hard, be honest, and respect elders and authority. We had normal issues like all families do but overall life was good. Around the age of 16, I began making some bad decisions and started running with the wrong crowd. That led me to spend some time in a juvenile detention center for a few months and a boys' home after that for six more months. I knew then that jail was not for me and I gave up the way of life I "thought" was cool. However, I kept doing things such as smoking weed and drinking alcohol. I had a few more run-ins with the police throughout the next few years for minor offenses such as drug paraphernalia and possession charges. I was a "functioning addict" and what I mean by that is I went to work every day and used drugs after work or on the weekends. I never in my life burglarized or robbed anyone, or hurt anyone to use drugs.
I was a 19-year-old young man barely out of high school and just trying to find myself in life when I became involved with a few older people who were related to a childhood friend of mine. These people would come over to my house and hang out and we would all use drugs there. I was introduced to methamphetamine by these older people. Eventually, in January 2012 I was arrested at my house for a methamphetamine manufacturing charge. The police charged me with this charge b/c of certain items collected from my residence. While I was in jail for these drug charges I was MALICIOUSLY TARGETED by the Mercer County Ohio Homicide Detectives b/c they saw me as an EASY TARGET. They claimed that the people I was involved with in the meth charges were suspected of having involvement in a double homicide and basically wanted to know if I knew anything about the murders. I kept telling them that No I did not know anything about the murders or who could have committed the crime. Further, there is NO evidence that connects me to this crime in any way, shape, or form. Therefore they had no right to even try to keep questioning me even after I told them I didn't want to talk without an attorney, but eventually they persuaded me to do so. Even further, I HAVE 2 LAW ABIDING ALIBI WITNESSES. The day the crime happened was on the night of November 29, 2011. This is the same day as my ex-girlfriend's mom's (birthday). I was with my girlfriend and her mom this whole day, (and even spent that night WITH my girlfriend THAT NIGHT!). SO HOW COULD I BE INVOLVED IN THESE MURDERS IF I WAS NEVER AT THE CRIME SCENE? END OF THE STORY, RIGHT? No. These dishonorable homicide detectives FABRICATED AND COERCED FALSE STATEMENTS FROM ME (OVER A PERIOD OF 6 MONTHS!!!)
They fed me information about the actual crime itself, talked to me about how they "knew'' I wasn't involved but they said they thought I was holding information back, which I was not, and eventually showed me pictures of the crime scene, then started THREATENING me with the Death Penalty if I held back from " telling them what they needed to know".
So out of fear and respect for my authority figures, the detectives, I started to tell them things they (wanted me to say). They told me it would help them solve the crime by catching the people they believed were the ones who committed the crime. After months of investigation, they were getting nowhere and the public community was growing restless and afraid that murderers were on the run.
THEREFORE THEY DECIDED TO WRONGFULLY CHARGE, ARREST, AND CONVICT A MINOR DRUG ADDICT WHERE THEY COULD EASILY CONVINCE THE COMMUNITY THAT I WAS GUILTY.
I made False Statements under extreme duress on June 4, 2012. I was in custody, shackled and handcuffed, for 12 HOURS STRAIT!
After hours of interrogations and manipulation and being shown pictures of the crime scene, and being intimidated by four Detectives that I just told them what they so they would leave me alone so I could go back to my cell.
On January 4, 2012, I was arrested for methamphetamine charges. I was taken to jail in Greenville, Ohio which is in the county I lived in called Darke county Ohio. Within 2 weeks in jail on the meth charges the Mercer County Ohio Homicide detectives Doug Timmerman and Megan Baker came to the jail and pulled me out for questioning. They asked me if I knew about any recent burglaries or robberies that had taken place throughout Mercer, Darke, and Jay county areas. I told them that no I didn't have any first-hand knowledge of any crimes such as these, which was completely true, so I said I didn't know how I could help them further and requested an attorney for any further questioning. So they left and about 2 more weeks later they came back and asked me again if I knew anything that could help them and even said they were also investigating a double homicide case from out of Mercer county Ohio. They asked me if I knew who could have committed a crime such as that, and I said no, I didn't know. That's when they mentioned they had reason to suspect the people I was involved in with the meth charges may have been the ones to commit the murders and since I was running around with them then maybe I knew something or overheard something, etc. I repeatedly told them that no I didn't know anything about the murders or who could of done them. Over a period of six months, I was questioned repeatedly by the Mercer county sheriff detectives. I eventually started cooperating with them by telling them (what they wanted me to say). They would tell me that they 'knew' that these certain people (who I will not name b/c they were later cleared) the detectives knew were the people who committed the crime but they didn't have sufficient evidence to charge them and so they needed me to make a statement against them and eventually testify on them at court. I didn't know what to do because I was trying to obey my authority figures and help them but what they were telling me to do was wrong. Over 6 months of questioning that led to interrogation, the Mercer county detectives coerced and fabricated a few false statements out of me in which I made up a story they wanted me to say so they (could charge and arrest the suspects they said they believed committed the crime) by using my statement which would give them enough evidence to catch the killers.
They used me and then turned on me. All along the sheriff and prosecutor HAVE THE (DNA) THAT BELONGS TO THE KILLERS!
But no one in the community cares to help demand justice in this case for everyone. No one will help me demand the DNA to be tested with the new DNA technology that has been solving cold cases time and time again (Genetic Genealogy). But now thanks to Imran I have hope because he is helping me tell my story to you, the people who take the time out of their lives to think about someone else, or at least have the courage to ask important questions which then can be answered. I ask all of you, please, I'm begging you, to please demand the DNA, in this case, to be tested with Genetic Genealogy, so we can solve this crime and bring justice to all victims involved. Please, someone, if you're out there and you are reading this, please just look into the Facts of this case and the Truth will shine out and you will see I am telling the truth.
The DNA belongs to the murderers (who are still running free 11 years later) AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO TO CATCH THEM IS TEST THE DNA! THAT'S IT! The prosecutor, sheriff, and judge of my county are all SUPPRESSING the DNA from being tested! If anyone can see the absurdity in this that the police will NOT TEST THE DNA OF MURDERERS... then what are they hiding?
God bless you all and thank you for taking the Time to read a little about my situation. I just want to come home to my family.
Thank you. Bryant Rhoades
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Justice for Bryant Rhoades.