In 2012 the Riverfront Times contacted a number of witnesses and individuals involved in Eric’s case and wrote an article.  I’m sharing some poignant quotes from this article.  I hope they inspire you to share this petition with a friend, colleague or family member.

Dee Joyce-Hayes, who held the elected post of St. Louis Circuit Attorney from 1992 to 2000, was an assistant in the prosecutor's office in 1982 stated “Had it come before me, I probably would have charged murder-second.”

Eric’s friends whose father, Joseph Fair was a deputy sheriff were not charged.  Joseph Fair, who was retired when the article was written commented that "If his jury had some blacks on it, he would have gotten less time. It was because Weems was a white boy."

O'Brien a former public defender told Riverfront Times the following about Eric’s defence legal representative: "Alcohol was Jack Walsh's downfall. But it was parallel to his caseload. He was going from trial to trial to trial not having time to meet with clients. What he was capable of, even drunk, was giving the appearance of representation, because he had courtroom skills. He was flying by the seat of his pants. Someone looking in from the outside would see what superficially appeared to be a fair trial. When the defense lawyer is not functioning properly, that's a significant contributing factor in improper convictions."

Jay McKay, a public defender noted that until a 1986 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Batson v. Kentucky, banning the practice, prosecutors routinely stacked juries by excluding blacks simply for their race. The issue was spotlighted in Missouri in June 2000, when Jane Geiler, a former St. Louis prosecutor, stated that prior to Batson, St. Louis prosecutors "always, always" used their strikes to remove black jurors.  Eric said his jury included one African American.

Judge Bright who at age 93 (at time the article was written) was the nation's oldest still-serving "senior status" federal judge, said he stands by his opinion urging that the Governor of Missouri consider a grant of executive clemency.