Michael Roy Toney (December 29, 1965- October 5, 2009) in 1999, was falsely convicted and charged for a bombing that killed two males and one female in Lake Worth, Texas in 1985. The incident also injured another male and female. [1] . He was sentenced to the death penalty.He served ten years and was released from prison September 2, 2009 after the state dropped all charges against him. The Conviction was overturned December 17,2008 by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. [2]. He died in a tragic auto accident near Rusk on October 3, 2009. [3].
Toney's Life edit
Toney grew up in Cottonwood, California, a small town that was about 90 miles away from Sacramento. His father left the family early in his life and his mother worked in local taverns. She would bring home a number of men who would beat her and her sons. To escape from this, Michael would often retreat to a shed. When Toney was 9 or 10 years old, one of her boyfriends strapped him to a chair, duct-taped his wrists down and set fire to his hands. When he was 15, another one of his mother's boyfriends attacked him with a [[fishing gaff] and gouged a huge hole in his hip. He quit school before the 10th grade and left for Texas. He worked in Texas, Alaska and Hawaii. After all of this he decided to settle down in Hurst-Euless,Bedford area of Tarrant County. He married a woman named Kim when he was 38 years old[4]. On a Saturday morning, Toney was driving his pick up truck on a farm in Texas when the pickup went off the road and rolled over. The accident threw Toney from the vehicle. There was no one else in the car. [5].
History of the Case edit
On the evening of Thanksgiving Day, November 28 1985, in the Hilltop Mobile Home Park between Lake Worth and Azle,Texas, three members of the Blount family were instantly killed by an explosion. Joe Blount, his daughter Angela and Angela's cousin, Michael Columbus, were killed when a bomb that was in a briefcase exploded. The briefcase was reportedly found on or near the steps of their home. Joe Blount was a 44 year old skilled mechanic. Angela Blount was only 15 years old and Michael Columbus was 18. [4]
How It Happened edit
In the trailer in the suburbs of Fort Worth, Texas, there was Joe Blount, Angela Blount, Robert Blount, Michael Columbus, Susan Blount and Carl "Ray" Blount. Robert was the son of Susan and Joe Blount. Carl "Ray" was the brother of Joe Blount. Michael Columbus was Carl's long-estranged son.After the family ate their Thanksgiving dinner, Ray Blount left to go to his home around 5:00 P.M. Around 9:00 P.M.,Susan Blount went to lie down for a nap a.Joe Blount then drove Robert, Angela and Michael to a convenience store about half a mile away from the park in a station wagon where they bought snacks and beer. Susan Blount soon heard a knock at the front door of the trailer and she looked out the window and didn't see anyone so she returned to her nap. When the rest of family came back from the convenience store, they found a briefcase on the doorstep. The three teenagers were excited because they thought that the briefcase might have either money or jewels in it. However, Joe wasn't too excited. Angela opened the latches and an explosion sent parts of the briefcase and its contents flying. This blast also ignited a container of gasoline in the briefcase which created a fireball. Susan was in the back room taking a nap but this noise woke her up. She opened the bedroom door to walk into clouds of smoke. She then went down the hallway and towards the living room where they were. She found Joe's body then she ran out the back door. Susan originally thought that everyone that was inside was dead but Robert was still alive[4].
Toney's Conviction edit
In June of 1997, Toney was in jail awaiting a hearing for a burglary that happened in 1993. Here he was talking Charles "Jack" Ferris in Parker County Jail in Weatherford Texas. The two men began talking about the bombing. Ferris was then released from jail by telling the Parker County authorities that Toney had confessed to him. After Ferris told the authorities, the investigators question Toney's ex-wife. In the beginning, Ms. Toney told prosecutors "Michael killing people in a bombing? You're nuts". But Ms. Toney decided to do some research on the case. When she realized what had took place, she called federal agents and told her story. Soon after, Toney was indicted for capital murder[4]
Months had passed, and Ferris had changed his story about Toney's alleged confession to the crime. Ferris explained how Toney had came up with the story in order to him out of jail earlier. He told investigators that "Toney and me made up the entire thing"[4]
The Trial edit
The started in May 1999, in Fort Worth, Texas. Susan and Robert Blount gave their testimony as to what happened that day. Then the testimony from his ex-wife, his ex-best friend and another cellmate occurred. His ex-wife (Ms.Toney), said that her, Toney and his best friend Chris Meeks went to a propane shop that was adjacent to the Hilltop Mobile Home Park. She says that Toney got out of the truck with a briefcase and disappeared. She then says he returned without the briefcase and then they went to the Nature Center and stayed for several hours. Her testimony also included that Toney shot a beaver with a rifle while they were at the Nature Center. [4].
A cellmate of Michael Toney, Finis Blankenship, testified that Toney told him that he was paid $5,000 for the murders. Blankenship also said that Toney the murders were part of a drug-related hit but the bomb was put on the wrong doorstep. His testimony came in the second phase of the trial, this helped the jury decide whether Toney deserved to be executed. This testimony showed the jury that Toney had a motive for the crime. At the current time, Blankenship was facing two counts of indecency with a child and habitual-criminal charges so he says that he agreed to testify against Toney in exchange for having the charges dropped. Blankenship now says that his testimony was a lie.Chris Meeks testimony didn't coincide with all of Ms. Toney's testimony in many ways. Meeks changed his story four times. At first he told investigators that he knew nothing about the bombing as well as the Grand Jury. He also failed a polygraph test. In 2001, he signed an affidavit taking back the things he said during his testimony. He says that "My testimony about the events that happened on Thanksgiving day, 1985, may not have happened on that day".[4].
Toney's Alibi edit
- He said that he did not hear about the crime until 1997 (8 years after it occurred).
- He said that he had never been to the Hilltop Mobile Home Park and that he didn't he even know it existed until just prior to his trial.
- Ms. Toney and Mr. Meeks says that Toney was driving a truck on the night of the bombing. However, Toney says that he didn't buy the truck until December 13, 1985 (a month after the incident).[4].
Conviction Overturned edit
The Tarrant County District Attorney's Office had withheld 14 pieces of evidence that were key to his defense. After this, Tarrant County prosecutors turned the case over to the Attorney General of Texas. [5].