In 1968 my Uncle, George Kenney was involved in a store robbery gone wrong. One of the cashiers was shot and later died in surgery. My Uncle was convicted of 1st degree murder, while his co-defendants were charged with second degree murder.

The law states that any death which occurs during the commission of a felony such as robbery, arson, etc., may be charged as murder in the second degree. The law clearly states that murder in the first degree is defined as the intentional killing of another person by lying in wait, poison, or any other act that is deliberate, willful and premeditated. 

My Uncle was wrongfully convicted. He admitted his guilt and accepted responsibility for his actions. The sentence for Felony Murder or Murder in the second degree in 1968 was 10-20 years. We all know that planning to rob or steal from anyone is completely wrong, but they were young with money on their minds...not murder. While his co-defendants have all been released long ago, able to experience life on the outside, my Uncle is still in prison. He has been in prison for 53 years for a crime with a maximum 20 year sentence, that's more than 30 years over the max. Yes he did the crime, but he's done more than double the time. 

My Uncle will turn 76 in less than a week. He has been locked up for more than 5 decades, that's more than half a century. 50 plus years is more than enough time for anyone to change for the better. I don't know what he was like when he was younger, but for as long as I've know him, he's has only sown positivity and encouraged us to do what is right. He has been locked up for a lifetime and while we really want to spend time and talk with him in a way that is not restricted by man or controlled by a machine...the most important thing to us is that he is able to experience freedom before his life is over.

Please help us get our Uncle home with your signature on this petition to The Pennsylvania Board of Pardons. Thank you in advance for your support!