Page 36 - June July 2017

Guilt vs Innovence: The Story of Billy Kuenzel ,

to and Billy and his lawyer were told that they had in So how did an innocent man end up serving over quarter
fact missed the official deadline which was two years of a century on Death Row? William Ernest Kuenzel was
after the first direct appeal in August 1991 and not born in 1962 in Coosa County, Alabama. He never knew
the second. his biological father but his stepfather, Glenn Kuenzel C
was a strong and positive influence on young Billy, who
In 2010 it was revealed that the prosecution had later took his name. Glenn Kuenzel was a military man A
withheld crucial evidence during the trial. This and so Billy spent most of his childhood moving from P
included police notes and witness statements, state to state, living at various military bases. He married I
all of which backed up Billy’s protestation of young and was a devoted and proud father to a son,
innocence and none of which had been made known also named William. Sadly, the marriage ended but they T
to Billy or his defense for 22 years. Despite this remained good friends and co-parents to their son. Billy A
development, the original “time bar rule” has led found work at a textile factory in the city of Goodwater, L
to a repeated refusal by the State to allow Billy’s Alabama where he could be close to his ex-wife and
legal team to present this new evidence to a jury child. It was here that he met Harvey Venn, a young man
making a farce of the whole justice system. There down on his luck. P
is no greater punishment than the Death Penalty U
and there is no greater injustice than the execution During August of 1987, Venn had been arrested on a
of an innocent man. Whether you are for or against felony drug charge. He was living with his grandfather at N
Capital Punishment, Billy’s case tragically poses the the time and short of money. He was told by his attorney, I
question “How do we prevent the incomprehensible: that in order to maintain his legal services and to secure S
What if an innocent man is executed? What if they his appearance at the hearing which was scheduled for
get it wrong?” November 16th, he needed to make a payment of $500 H
upfront and that the entire cost would fall in the region M
If the concealed evidence had been presented to of $2,000-3,000. Billy took the younger man under his E
the jury at the time, it would have in all probability wing offering him a place to stay on the condition that
led to an acquittal for Billy. There has never been Venn helped out with “household expenses” and would N
any physical evidence to link him to the crime or drive Billy to and from work. Despite being employed T
any explanation as to a motive for an attempted and living rent free, Venn, who was just 18 years old
robbery. The trial itself was littered with several was continuously in debt, often borrowing money from
constitutional violations without which Billy would both Billy and his 13-year-old girlfriend Crystal Floyd.
arguably never have been found guilty. Billy’s case As the November court date neared, Venn asked Billy to
was tried in Talledega. The jury was all from the area lend him the $500 he needed to pay his attorney. Despite
and had been exposed to media articles surrounding being financially solvent and in a position to help, Billy
the case. The prosecuting District Attorney was refused on the grounds that his roommate had already
Robert Rumsey who sent a dozen people to Death borrowed $500 from him and had not yet paid back his
Row during his 20 years’ service, encouraging the debt.
local newspapers to nickname Talledega as “death
row country”. There was also speculation that Mr. On the night of November 9, 1987 in Sylacauga,
Rumsey was so well known for his oratory skills that Alabama, Linda Jean Offord was working the night
defense lawyers in Talledega County often waived shift at “Joe Bob’s Crystal Palace” convenience store.
their right to make closing arguments in order to Sometime between 11.05pm and 11.20pm, she was shot
prevent Rumsey from speaking his turn. Throughout during an attempted robbery. She was discovered by
his closing statement, Rumsey frequently interjected fellow employee Loretta Lynn Graves at approximately
his personal opinion and engaged in a thorough 11:20pm when she arrived to take over her shift. It was
character assassination of Billy, charismatically later confirmed that nothing had been stolen and no
urging the jury to rule with their hearts as opposed to money was taken from the till. Linda was still alive when
their minds. Loretta called the ambulance but died on the way to the
emergency room as a result of her injuries. The autopsy,
36