Lansing, MI-- Susan Lefevrere now known as Marie Walsh escaped from a Michigan prison more than three decades ago. She was a first time offending teenager who got a 10 to 20 year prison sentence for selling a small amount of heroin to an undercover cop. That prison term was off the charts in harshness considering she pled guilty and was expecting probation. Since her 1976 breakout Walsh turned her life around, moved to the San Diego area and raised a photogenic family with her husband. She lived in an upper-class Carmel Valley neighborhood and enjoyed the American dream. She became a solid member of the community and never looked back or reoffended.
That all changed when there was a rude knock at the door on April 24, 2008. It was a deputy United States Marshall and Walsh’s blessed world came crashing down. Someone had informed on Walsh.
Despite pleas from hundreds of friends and supporters Michigan officials wanted their pound of flesh from this now middle-aged woman who was no threat to anyone. They bagged her and put her on a prison bus back to Michigan.
An utterly worthless and vindictive Wayne County Prosecutor wanted even more and prosecuted Walsh for that ancient escape. That brought an additional five-year probation term along with lots of legal fees.
Finally there is light at the end of a very dark and ugly tunnel. Today the Michigan parole board voted 10-0 to release Walsh on May 19, 2009.
That action has shaved years off of Walsh’s original sentence but the subsequent punishment was wasted on the woman who long ago chose the right path of honorable behavior.
Walsh should have been forgiven or pardoned but instead suffered unnecessary humiliation and excessive additional punishment. The process has been nothing short of a continuing emotional nightmare
When she is released in May she will have lost 13 months of her life she or her family will never see again. That was a meaningless exercise that was unnecessarily cruel.
If there is something good here it’s that Walsh will never have to look over her shoulder or fear a knock at her door again. I hope to welcome Marie back to freedom on a nice spring day.
8 comments:
The drug issue needs serious attention in this country.We are only incarcertating the guppies and mules,not the key players.
Why??Our economy depends on the drug trade.Prisons/jails being built to house mostly PP drug offenses.Those facilities must be staffed and maintained.Thats big $$$.
Their is NO war on drugs,never was.Why?It is not winnable,but fundable.Its all about the dollars folks.
The US needs to study what some of the Scandinavian countries have done.
Good that she will be freed. Locking her up was a waste of taxpayer money and a waste of prison space that could be filled by violent repeat offenders
Paul what a great story. Although her time spent was nothing compared to some wrongly convicted persons.
She needs a movie now.
U should include the name of that SOB DA.
She is now an honest citizen, I am glad they had the money to pull it off.
The name of that SOB DA is Michael Thomas. I sat in the court room and listened to nothing but dirty pool and lies.
Paul thnaks for the great story. Im glad shes freed. Thats a good story for a great movie.
However her 13 months in prison is NOTHING compared to those that have spent decades for crimes that they did not commit. aka the wrongfully convicted.
I find it incredible that the DA thought there would be justice served by throwing this nice woman in prison again after so many years. If her original offense had been a crime of violence, I would have no qualms with this. But looking back at what she did and her original sentence, well, that was a travesty. This DA needs to find other employment, as justice is clearly NOT what he is after.
This whole family is scum. I just had to evict her drug addict daughter from my house. She owes me almost $2,000. Came home one day to her room empty. Alan and Marie said they would settle things up but have been avoiding me since. Now I have to take Katie to small claims over this crap. I've met Marie and she is not normal. I woke up to her in my house (she just walked in) screaming for her daughter who wasn't even home at the time. When you get away with stuff your whole life you think you can do whatever you want.
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