Your signatures are making an impact. Finally received an email response from State Delegate Shelly A Simonds and a callback from Colleen Maxwell, FOIA Legal Services Specialist, Board of Local and Regional Jails.
Delegate Simonds offered her assistance and my family and I have requested an Independent Federal Investigation into Jowell’s murder, advising of our distrust in VADOC’s self investigation and citing Assistant Warden Turner’s history of alleged video recorded abuse rewarded with a promotion to his new and current position, as well as his blatant statement to me “…not that this investigation will take long…” on the morning he advised me of my son’s death.
Colleen Maxwell has advised that the investigation is progressing, provided the name and contact information for the assigned Special Investigator and the Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney and stated that the toxicology lab is backed up a few months. She has assured me that I have a right to the specific information requested per Virginia Code § 2.2-3706 and will receive said information once the investigation is complete.
We have also received two email responses from US Senator Mark Warner. His initial response (prior to the petition) offered condolences, advised that we should contact VADOC and to contact him if we had a Federal issue needing assistance. His second response (after the petition) thanked us for having confidence in him and stated he had forwarded my request for an inquiry into my son’s death to VADOC and will forward any information received.
Our issue is that the corruption throughout VADOC, inmate abuse and inmate murders should have been a Federal issue well before my son was added to the statistics. Our request specifically called for an INDEPENDENT inquiry/ investigation!!! Forwarding our request to VADOC serves no purpose! They are already conducting an investigation into their own corruption!!!
This is why your continued support is both appreciated and necessary! Please continue to share to your various networks and encourage everyone to sign and share.
My family is forever grateful keeping everyone in our prayers. We will keep you posted.
Blessings