AN INNOCENT MAN STAYED STRONG WRONGLY CONVICTED FOR 28 YEARS
two decades, with Schrappen occasionally visiting Johnson in prison or attending his appeal hearings. Eventually, the real culprits confessed to the crime, but this wasn’t enough for Johnson to get the release he desperately desired. A non- profit called the Innocence Project and Ginny Schrappen continued to fight for his freedom. After 28 years, their efforts succeeded, and Johnson was released from prison. They even raised $600,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to help him get back on his feet. After his release, Johnson was ecstatic to spend time with his mother, daughter (who was about to get married), and the woman who never stopped fighting for him, Ginny Schrappen.
One of the most terrifying scenarios we can imagine is getting locked behind bars for a crime we didn’t commit. It’s a situation we’ve seen repeatedly in movies and television, but it also happens in real life. All the evidence points toward a specific person, and the eyewitnesses falsely believe they saw this person at the crime scene, causing them to be charged with a crime they did not commit. A Missouri man was recently released from prison after a wrongful conviction that cost him 28 years of his life. Lamar Johnson was at his girlfriend’s house on Oct. 30, 1994, when his former roommate, Markus Boyd, was shot and killed. Boyd’s girlfriend claimed that the two men had a falling out before
the shooting, which landed Johnson at the top of the suspect list. Other information and witness testimonies came forward that all seemed to point to Johnson as the culprit. By September of the following year, a jury convicted Johnson of first- degree murder and armed criminal action, causing him to receive a life sentence without parole. While many believed Johnson was guilty, not everyone bought the story. He wrote many letters after his conviction, and one ended up in the hands of Ginny Schrappen, a member of the congregation of Mary, Mother of Church in St. Louis County. Ginny felt that the letter came from an intelligent person and responded. The two continued to talk through letters for over
SUDOKU
MUNCHIES WITH MOLLY
GRILLED STEAK SALAD WITH PEACHES
Inspired by Delish.com
INGREDIENTS •
1 lb skirt steak, fat trimmed 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tbsp light brown sugar
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Black pepper
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1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, juiced 6 cups baby arugula
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 ripe peaches, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese or feta
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large resealable plastic bag or baking dish, combine steak, vinegar, garlic, and brown sugar. Marinate 20 minutes at room temperature. 2. Remove steak from marinade, coat with vegetable oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. 3. On a grill or pan set to high heat, cook steak until desired doneness. Rest
5–10 minutes, then thinly slice against the grain. 4. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil and lemon juice to make dressing. Season with salt and pepper. 5. In a large serving bowl, add arugula, peaches, blue cheese or feta, and steak. Drizzle with dressing and gently toss.
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