***CLEMENCY FOR CARL DREW***

Carl H. Drew, a resident of MCI-Shirley, is going into his 45th year of incarceration. In 1981, Carl H. Drew was wrongfully convicted of the first-degree murder of Karen Marsden. Carl received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Due to lies, manipulation, and corruption of others, Carl Drew was denied the right that every American citizen is entitled to: a fair and just trial. I am respectfully requesting that you review Mr. Drew’s story and consider signing this petition urging the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to grant Carl clemency from this heinous miscarriage of justice. This petition will be used by Carl’s legal team in their efforts to petition the Commonwealth for clemency.

The law states that guilt must be proven without any reasonable doubt for a conviction to be made.[1] This was not the case for Carl H. Drew. The Prosecution claims Carl had the motive to harm Karen Marsden, as they believed Ms. Marsden to be present at the murder of Doreen Levesque. The Prosecution believed that Ms. Marsden could name Carl as Ms. Leveque’s killer. However, Carl was interviewed by the Fall River P.D, where he willingly gave hair samples for DNA. Carl Drew’s DNA was not found at the scene of Doreen Levesque’s murder.[2] Not to mention, on October 13, 1979, the night Doreen Levesque was murdered, Carl Drew was attending his stepmother’s wedding. There are photographs of Carl taken during the wedding to support Carl’s innocence.[3] He could not be in two places at once. There was no MO.

Public Defender John Birknes was assigned to defend Carl. Unbeknownst to Carl, Attorney Birknes had never defended anyone before, let alone worked on a murder trial. “It was only after the book Mortal Remains by Henry Scammel came out that I found out Attorney Birknes had never defended anyone or had ever been involved in any way with a murder trial. Doesn't that alone show how the Bristol County Legal System right from the time of appointing me an attorney was out to get me? He wasn't even known to be a lawyer. After my case he never again practiced criminal law.”[4]

There was no physical evidence to tie Carl to this crime. Carl was found guilty based solely upon the testimony of a then 17-year-old Robin Murphy, despite the fact that Ms. Murphy was never able to keep her story consistent. Ms. Murphy’s testimony had to be read to the Grand Jury, as after making four attempts to testify in person, Ms. Murphy could not keep her story consistent. Nine different versions of the series of events that took place in the woods the night Karen Marsden was murdered were provided between Robin Murphy and Carol Fletcher alone.[5]

Robin Murphy herself has admitted on several occasions that she gave false testimony against Mr. Drew. Her most recent confession was during her parole hearing on March 8, 2022. Per an article published by The Herald News, Ms. Murphy told the parole board she lied about the murders under oath to ensure Drew would go to prison. Ms. Murphy stated she felt the case would never have been solved without her testimony, but she now regrets lying. Ms. Murphy also acknowledges the possibility that, due to her false testimony, she may have sentenced an innocent man to life in prison, namely Carl Drew.[6]

In 2004, Michael Cutler, Carl Drew’s attorney, filed a motion requesting a new trial due to ineffective assistance in counsel resulting in cumulative errors. In the transcript of the trial proceedings, public defender John Birknes, Carl Drew’s representation, stated that one month before trial, he had not received any report from the original investigator. A new investigation had to begin despite fact the original investigator had a year to provide Birknes with his report.[7]

Birknes also failed to report an impossible timeline laid out by the prosecution. The prosecution stated that a total of 80 minutes was spent in the woods by Carl Drew and company. The series of events provided by Robin Murphy, namely travel time and the burning of a recently deceased body, as stated in Ms. Murphy’s original story, could not have been accomplished in 80 minutes.[8] When a human body is cremated, the incinerator is preheated to about 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (593 degrees Celsius). At 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, the average human body takes from two to three hours to burn completely.[9] The 80-minute timeline laid out by the Prosecution, which included round-trip travel time, the torture, killing, and burning of the body, is not possible.

Murphy also stated that she was ordered to cut Ms. Marsden’s throat. Murphy claimed that Carl then beheaded Ms. Marsden with his bare hands. However, a cut across the neck will not only sever your jugular vein, but also the carotid artery.[10] If either is cut, a person will bleed to death very rapidly. Beheading would involve severing the spinal cord, the trachea, and ligaments that control the movement of the head. It makes sense that both Carl and Murphy would have been covered in the blood of Ms. Marsden. However, upon examination of the car that Murphy and Fletcher claim was used to get to and from the Westport Woods, not a trace of blood was found.[11]

Retired Fall River Police Detective Paul Carey was one of the lead investigators on the original case. Paul Carey became so haunted by the many inconsistencies that he re-investigated his case after he retired. Up to his passing in 2019, Paul Carey believed Carl to be innocent in connection with the murder of Karen Marsden. “‘He is not the pillar of the community, but he wasn't, you know, he's not a murderer.” [12]

In August of 2003, Paul Carey signed an affidavit stating that during the investigation of Karen Marsden’s murder, Carl Drew cooperated with the department’s every request, making no effort to leave Fall River (Carey Aff. ¶ 5). This led Carey to believe Murphy was a more likely suspect. Carey believed Murphy murdered Marsden out of spite and jealousy, as Marsden, Murphy’s former love interest, was planning to move to Florida with her boyfriend. Carey’s suspicions were confirmed when Maureen Sparda revealed Robin Murphy confessed to the murder of Karen Marsden without Carl Drew’s knowledge or involvement (Carey Aff. ¶ 6, 10).  

Maureen Sparda had planned to testify in favor of Carl Drew during his original trial. However, upon entering the courtroom, Ms. Sparda pleaded the Fifth. Ms. Sparda stated she wanted to tell the truth, but she was afraid. Ms. Sparda was asked to leave the courtroom. No one ever questioned why Ms. Sparda was too terrified to take the stand.

In July of 2003, Maureen Sparda signed an affidavit explaining why she was afraid to testify. Robin Murphy had confessed to Ms. Sparda that she, Murphy, alone, killed Karen Marsden. Murphy stated that Karen was dead and that the police would never find the body (Sparda Aff. ¶ 9).  Maureen Sparda was planning to testify to the truth; however, upon her arrival at the courthouse on March 12, 1981, she was met not only by John Birknes, Carl Drew’s attorney, but also by the trial prosecutor. Ms. Sparda was told that if she did not plead the fifth and refuse to testify, they would see to it that she would go to prison for life in place of Carl Drew. Ms. Sparda was told that if she said one word to help Drew, she would take his place (Sparda Aff. ¶ 11-14).

In addition to Robin Murphy recanting her testimony, two additional women came forward stating they also gave false testimony against Carl during the original trial. Leah Johnson and Carol Fletcher [13] both signed affidavits stating they felt threatened into giving false testimony against Mr. Drew. Ms. Johnson stated in her affidavit that she lied due to threats made against her and her family by the DA’s office (Johnson Aff. ¶ 4-5).

Carol Fletcher signed an affidavit stating both she and Karen Marsden were terrified of Robin Murphy. Fletcher had lived with Murphy, and having been physically attacked more than once, she knew Murphy to be both violent and manipulative. It was the fear of Murphy’s retribution that led Fletcher to give false testimony against Carl Drew. In her affidavit, Fletcher stated and described in detail how it was Robin Murphy alone who murdered Karen Marsden. Fletcher stated she saw Robin Murphy assault Karen on the roof of Harbor Terrance Apartments in Fall River. Carl Drew was not present (Brooks Aff. ¶ 3,5, 7-9).

Carl H. Drew has spent the past 45 years imprisoned for a murder in which he had no prior knowledge of or involvement in. Carl has lost more than half his life due to the lies, manipulation, and corruption of others. I agree with the late Detective Carey. Carl Drew may not have been a pillar of the community, but Carl Drew was not and is not a murderer. Olive Drew, Carl’s beloved mother, who passed away in 2014, lost her son. His children lost their father. His grandchildren lost their grandfather. Carl lost his life to a crime he never committed. In writing this letter, no disrespect is meant towards Karen Marsden or her family. My deepest sympathy goes out to them. However, Carl H. Drew should not have to face death incarcerated for a murder in which he so clearly had no prior knowledge or involvement.

Thank you for your time and attention,

This Friday, August 8th, at 10 AM., Michael Campeau will be a guest on the radio talk show “SouthCoast Now, " hosted by Chris McCarthy on WBSM 1420 AM. They will be discussing the latest developments in Carl Drew’s case, including clemency, the Innocence Project, and other topics related to Carl Drew's journey to justice. The phone lines will be open to take your questions.

https://wbsm.com/listen-live/popup/

#ClemencyForCarlDrew

#JusticeForCarlDrew

For more information, including newly discovered evidence supporting Carl’s innocence, please visit Carl Drew's new website and podcast 

 https://www.carldrewblindjustice.com/

For more facts about Carl Drew's case please visit on Facebook: Justice For Carl Drew https://www.facebook.com/groups/justiceforcarldrew/

Follow Carl Cast on You Tube to hear Carl Drew himself discuss the status of his case and the circumstances that led to his incarceration. https://www.youtube.com/@drewtube882 

[1] Presumption Of Innocence, Legal Information Institute https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/presumption_of_innocence
[2] “CARL CAST EPISODE 2” YouTube, Uploaded by Drew Tube 13, Apr 2023 https://www.youtube.com/@drewtube882
 
[3] Fall River (S1 E2): Deal with the Devil. James Buddy Day, Epix 2021 https://www.epix.com/series/fall-river/season/1/episode/2/fall-river-s1-e2
[4] Carl Drew’s Fight, http://carldrewsfight.com/
[5] Commonwealth v. Drew (Carl H.), SJC-09628 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oodvtNc3CgU
[6] The Herald News, author Audrey Cooney. Published 3/9/2022 https://www.heraldnews.com/story/news/2022/03/09/woman-convicted-fall-river-cult-murder-asks-paroled/9412020002/
[7] Commonwealth v. Drew (Carl H.), SJC-09628 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oodvtNc3CgU
[8] Commonwealth v. Drew (Carl H.), SJC-09628 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oodvtNc3CgU
[9] Michelle Kim “How Cremation Works” 31 March 20009. HowStuffWorks.com. https://science.howstuffworks.com/cremation1.htm
[10] Robert Kaiser “The Dangers from Knife and Weapon Slashing” 23 January 2019 https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/89752-the-danger-of-slashing
[11] Fall River (S1 E4): Into Hell. James Buddy Day, Epix 2021 https://www.epix.com/series/fall-river/season/1/episode/4/fall-river-s1-e4
[12] Bristol County prosecutors to review satanic cult killings https://www.wcvb.com/article/bristol-county-prosecutors-to-review-satanic-cult-killings-1/8170776#
[13] Fall River (S1 E2): Deal with the Devil. James Buddy Day, Epix 2021 https://www.epix.com/series/fall-river/season/1/episode/2/fall-river-s1-e2