Comments on: “Rite Of Passage” by Darrell B. Grayson http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/ where I'm a Rank Stranger Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:41:11 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Ashley Baine http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29444 Ashley Baine Wed, 25 Jul 2007 05:01:47 +0000 http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29444 <em>this comment has been removed</em> Please get your own blog, if you wish to post about this. Helen this comment has been removed

Please get your own blog, if you wish to post about this.
Helen

]]> By: helenl http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29440 helenl Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:57:46 +0000 http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29440 Please no pro-execution comments; we are busy trying to help save a life. If you have a positon other than pro-life, please find another blog on which to post. You have a right to your opinion, but please write about it elsewhere. This includes relatives of the murder victim. We have thought this through. Thank you. Please no pro-execution comments; we are busy trying to help save a life. If you have a positon other than pro-life, please find another blog on which to post. You have a right to your opinion, but please write about it elsewhere. This includes relatives of the murder victim. We have thought this through. Thank you.

]]> By: Ashley Baine http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29438 Ashley Baine Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:47:58 +0000 http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29438 <em>this comment has been removed</em> this comment has been removed

]]> By: Ashley Baine http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29436 Ashley Baine Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:36:04 +0000 http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29436 <em>this comment has been removed</em> this comment has been removed

]]> By: amy http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29422 amy Wed, 25 Jul 2007 03:10:31 +0000 http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29422 <em>this comment has been removed</em> this comment has been removed

]]> By: helenl http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29411 helenl Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:26:02 +0000 http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29411 Lee, I mean it. This is the time to speak for Darrell or be silent. Continuing to comment, when I have asked you to stop, is just rude. Lee, I mean it. This is the time to speak for Darrell or be silent. Continuing to comment, when I have asked you to stop, is just rude.

]]> By: lee binion http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29410 lee binion Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:20:07 +0000 http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29410 <em>this comment has been removed</em> this comment has been removed

]]> By: lee binion http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29409 lee binion Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:16:58 +0000 http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29409 <em>this comment has been removed</em> this comment has been removed

]]> By: helenl http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29343 helenl Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:24:38 +0000 http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29343 And DNA testing will deny or confirm all of this, Deb. Please e-mail the governor of Alabama and ask him to stay the execution, so that DNA testing can reveal the truth. And DNA testing will deny or confirm all of this, Deb. Please e-mail the governor of Alabama and ask him to stay the execution, so that DNA testing can reveal the truth.

]]> By: Deb http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29337 Deb Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:48:04 +0000 http://helenl.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/rite-of-passage-by-darrell-b-grayson/#comment-29337 Darrell Grayson was convicted in the 1980 beating and suffocation death of an 86-year-old widow. Grayson and Victor Kennedy were convicted of killing Annie Laura Orr at her home in Montevallo, Alabama on Christmas Eve in 1980. Her granddaughter visited her during the day of December 23rd, 1980, and found her appearing to be in good health, ambulatory, and in possession of her mental faculties. During the evening hours of December 23rd, 1980, Darrell Grayson, co-defendant Victor Kennedy, and two other individuals met at Kennedy's residence, also in Montevallo, and a short distance from that of Mrs. Orr. They drank wine and played cards. Sometime shortly after midnight, and after the other individuals had gone, Kennedy and Grayson left Kennedy's house on foot, walking in the direction of Mrs. Orr's house. They were armed with a .38 Caliber handgun, which belonged to Kennedy. They decided to burglarize Mrs. Orr's residence in order to get some money. They had previously discussed such a burglary, that Mrs. Orr was elderly, and where she kept her money. They entered the Orr house during the very early morning hours of December 24th, 1980, through a rear basement door. They then proceeded through the dirt basement, up several steps, and into the main living portion of the house near Mrs. Orr's bedroom. The pair used a flashlight to illuminate their way. Once inside the living portion of the house they entered Mrs. Orr's bedroom where she was apparently sleeping. Annie, who was only 5' 3" and weighed 117 pounds was attacked as she slept. They subdued and beat her, striking her in the head with a blunt instrument and breaking several of her ribs. Grayson then placed a pillowcase over her head and wrapped two relatively long lengths of masking tape very tightly around her head so that when they were finished her head appeared to be that of a mummy. Then they proceeded to look for money and other valuables. When apparently they could not find a significant amount of cash, the pair began threatening Mrs. Orr by beating her further, threatening to drown her, and firing two shots from Kennedy's pistol, into her bedroom block and wall. During their assault, the pair raped Annie Orr repeatedly. Darrell Grayson said he didn't want to rape Mrs. Orr but that he did so twice. She lived through the assault of being raped, beaten, threatened, unable to see or adequately breathe, and begging her assailants not to hurt her but to take her money and leave, for a considerable period of time. She then died. On the morning of December 24, 1980, Mrs. Orr’s son discovered her dead body in her home in Montevallo, Alabama, and called law enforcement officers. The officers discovered a trail of playing cards leading from Mrs. Orr’s home to the home of Victor Kennedy, a known burglar. Knowing that Kennedy and Grayson had been seen together the previous night, officers began looking for Grayson on the afternoon of December 24, 1980, and discovered him “squatting in the bushes” in a wooded area near his home. Following his arrest, Grayson confessed. Officers also discovered Mrs. Orr’s wedding rings in Grayson’s wallet and obtained physical evidence from Grayson that linked Grayson to the crime. Grayson was taken into custody. When interviewed by police, Grayson told the officers that he had performed yard work for Mrs. Orr in the past, was familiar with her house, and had entered her home with Kennedy in the early morning of December 24, awakening Mrs. Orr. Grayson admitted that they had repeatedly raped Mrs. Orr while searching her house for valuables. Grayson and Kennedy took the money and valuables they found, left Mrs. Orr on her bed, and left the house. Within thirty minutes of this interview, Grayson again waived his Miranda rights and confessed to the officers again. This time, the officers tape-recorded the confession. Grayson again admitted that he had worked for Mrs. Orr in the past and knew the house, but claimed that the burglary and rape were Kennedy’s ideas. Grayson also claimed that he and Kennedy had consumed several gallons of wine the evening of the crime. Two days later, Grayson again waived his Miranda rights and gave another recorded statement to police. This time, Grayson explained that he and Kennedy had been planning for a couple of weeks to rob Mrs. Orr to get money for Christmas. They selected Mrs. Orr as a target because Grayson had worked for her and knew where she kept money. Grayson also stated that Mrs. Orr had begged them to take her money and not hurt her. Grayson taped a pillowcase over Mrs. Orr’s face to prevent her from recognizing him, and after that, he could not understand what she was saying. Grayson stated that both he and Kennedy raped Mrs. Orr repeatedly and unsuccessfully searched for money and other valuables. Grayson admitted that at one point he had taken Mrs. Orr to the bathroom and then returned her to the bedroom, where he raped her again, but he could not remember why he took her to the bathroom or what happened there. Grayson explained that Kennedy urged him to leave the house while he was raping Mrs. Orr, and Grayson left Mrs. Orr on her bed with the pillowcase taped over her head and face as he left the house. Grayson was tried for capital murder during a burglary. At trial, the officers described the crime scene, the physical evidence, including the playing cards that led to Kennedy’s house, and the circumstances leading to Grayson’s arrest. The officers also recounted their discovery of Mrs. Orr’s wedding rings in Grayson’s wallet and the bloody shirt belonging to Grayson in the woods near his home. The transcripts of Grayson’s confessions were admitted into evidence. The State additionally presented expert testimony about the crime scene. For example, the State’s trace evidence expert testified about the comparison of hairs recovered from the crime scene and hairs taken from Grayson and Kennedy. The expert explained that several hairs recovered at the crime scene had “negroid” characteristics consistent with Grayson’s and Kennedy’s hair and inconsistent with the victim’s, but that the hairs were too small to allow an individual comparison of them with Grayson’s and Kennedy’s samples. The expert also testified that a hair recovered from Grayson’s sock following his arrest was consistent with the victim’s head hair and inconsistent with Grayson’s, but the expert could not opine as to whether the hair was the victim’s. The State’s fingerprint expert testified that the latent fingerprints lifted from Mrs. Orr’s home and on evidence were insufficient to allow analysis. The State’s ballistics expert testified that the two bullets found in the wall between Mrs. Orr’s bedroom and bathroom and on the floor in her bedroom were of the .38 caliber size and were fired from the same weapon, likely a Smith and Wesson revolver. The expert further testified that the hole in a shattered clock in Mrs. Orr’s home also was consistent with a .38 bullet. However, on cross-examination, the ballistics expert testified that the police had not given him a gun that matched up with the bullets. The State’s serology expert testified that bloodstains found on a pillowcase and a bed spread in Mrs. Orr’s bedroom could not be typed; nor could urine and semen stains found on a bed sheet recovered from Mrs. Orr’s bathroom. The expert also testified that the bloodstains on Grayson’s shirt recovered from the woods near his house were type O and could have come from either Mrs. Orr or Kennedy, both of whom were type O, but could not have come from Grayson, who is type B. The serology expert testified that a large blood and semen stain on Mrs. Orr’s nightgown was type B, which was consistent with Grayson’s blood. Grayson provided garbled testimony in his own behalf, mainly to the effect that he was too drunk to remember anything. A jury took only two hours to find him guilty of murder and burglary. Kennedy was executed in Alabama's electric chair at Holman Prison in Atmore on Aug. 6, 1999. The trial judge said, "The court cannot think of a case it has seen, heard, or even read, that would equal the cruelty shown in this case by the defendant to Mrs. Orr." An 11th Circuit Court of Appeals judge said, "Grayson confessed several times, testified at trial about the murder and his role in it, and does not contend that he was denied a fair trial. The non-biological evidence against him was and is overwhelming. For example, Grayson admitted that he and Kennedy planned the robbery a week before; the victim's wedding rings were found in Grayson's wallet; Grayson's bloody shirt was found in the woods near his house; and Grayson was discovered hiding in the woods after his mother told him of Mrs. Orr's death." Darrell Grayson was convicted in the 1980 beating and suffocation death of an 86-year-old widow. Grayson and Victor Kennedy were convicted of killing Annie Laura Orr at her home in Montevallo, Alabama on Christmas Eve in 1980. Her granddaughter visited her during the day of December 23rd, 1980, and found her appearing to be in good health, ambulatory, and in possession of her mental faculties. During the evening hours of December 23rd, 1980, Darrell Grayson, co-defendant Victor Kennedy, and two other individuals met at Kennedy’s residence, also in Montevallo, and a short distance from that of Mrs. Orr. They drank wine and played cards. Sometime shortly after midnight, and after the other individuals had gone, Kennedy and Grayson left Kennedy’s house on foot, walking in the direction of Mrs. Orr’s house. They were armed with a .38 Caliber handgun, which belonged to Kennedy. They decided to burglarize Mrs. Orr’s residence in order to get some money. They had previously discussed such a burglary, that Mrs. Orr was elderly, and where she kept her money. They entered the Orr house during the very early morning hours of December 24th, 1980, through a rear basement door. They then proceeded through the dirt basement, up several steps, and into the main living portion of the house near Mrs. Orr’s bedroom. The pair used a flashlight to illuminate their way. Once inside the living portion of the house they entered Mrs. Orr’s bedroom where she was apparently sleeping. Annie, who was only 5′ 3″ and weighed 117 pounds was attacked as she slept. They subdued and beat her, striking her in the head with a blunt instrument and breaking several of her ribs. Grayson then placed a pillowcase over her head and wrapped two relatively long lengths of masking tape very tightly around her head so that when they were finished her head appeared to be that of a mummy. Then they proceeded to look for money and other valuables. When apparently they could not find a significant amount of cash, the pair began threatening Mrs. Orr by beating her further, threatening to drown her, and firing two shots from Kennedy’s pistol, into her bedroom block and wall. During their assault, the pair raped Annie Orr repeatedly. Darrell Grayson said he didn’t want to rape Mrs. Orr but that he did so twice. She lived through the assault of being raped, beaten, threatened, unable to see or adequately breathe, and begging her assailants not to hurt her but to take her money and leave, for a considerable period of time. She then died. On the morning of December 24, 1980, Mrs. Orr’s son discovered her dead body in her home in Montevallo, Alabama, and called law enforcement officers. The officers discovered a trail of playing cards leading from Mrs. Orr’s home to the home of Victor Kennedy, a known burglar. Knowing that Kennedy and Grayson had been seen together the previous night, officers began looking for Grayson on the afternoon of December 24, 1980, and discovered him “squatting in the bushes” in a wooded area near his home. Following his arrest, Grayson confessed. Officers also discovered Mrs. Orr’s wedding rings in Grayson’s wallet and obtained physical evidence from Grayson that linked Grayson to the crime. Grayson was taken into custody. When interviewed by police, Grayson told the officers that he had performed yard work for Mrs. Orr in the past, was familiar with her house, and had entered her home with Kennedy in the early morning of December 24, awakening Mrs. Orr. Grayson admitted that they had repeatedly raped Mrs. Orr while searching her house for valuables. Grayson and Kennedy took the money and valuables they found, left Mrs. Orr on her bed, and left the house. Within thirty minutes of this interview, Grayson again waived his Miranda rights and confessed to the officers again. This time, the officers tape-recorded the confession. Grayson again admitted that he had worked for Mrs. Orr in the past and knew the house, but claimed that the burglary and rape were Kennedy’s ideas. Grayson also claimed that he and Kennedy had consumed several gallons of wine the evening of the crime. Two days later, Grayson again waived his Miranda rights and gave another recorded statement to police. This time, Grayson explained that he and Kennedy had been planning for a couple of weeks to rob Mrs. Orr to get money for Christmas. They selected Mrs. Orr as a target because Grayson had worked for her and knew where she kept money. Grayson also stated that Mrs. Orr had begged them to take her money and not hurt her. Grayson taped a pillowcase over Mrs. Orr’s face to prevent her from recognizing him, and after that, he could not understand what she was saying. Grayson stated that both he and Kennedy raped Mrs. Orr repeatedly and unsuccessfully searched for money and other valuables. Grayson admitted that at one point he had taken Mrs. Orr to the bathroom and then returned her to the bedroom, where he raped her again, but he could not remember why he took her to the bathroom or what happened there. Grayson explained that Kennedy urged him to leave the house while he was raping Mrs. Orr, and Grayson left Mrs. Orr on her bed with the pillowcase taped over her head and face as he left the house. Grayson was tried for capital murder during a burglary. At trial, the officers described the crime scene, the physical evidence, including the playing cards that led to Kennedy’s house, and the circumstances leading to Grayson’s arrest. The officers also recounted their discovery of Mrs. Orr’s wedding rings in Grayson’s wallet and the bloody shirt belonging to Grayson in the woods near his home. The transcripts of Grayson’s confessions were admitted into evidence. The State additionally presented expert testimony about the crime scene. For example, the State’s trace evidence expert testified about the comparison of hairs recovered from the crime scene and hairs taken from Grayson and Kennedy. The expert explained that several hairs recovered at the crime scene had “negroid” characteristics consistent with Grayson’s and Kennedy’s hair and inconsistent with the victim’s, but that the hairs were too small to allow an individual comparison of them with Grayson’s and Kennedy’s samples. The expert also testified that a hair recovered from Grayson’s sock following his arrest was consistent with the victim’s head hair and inconsistent with Grayson’s, but the expert could not opine as to whether the hair was the victim’s. The State’s fingerprint expert testified that the latent fingerprints lifted from Mrs. Orr’s home and on evidence were insufficient to allow analysis. The State’s ballistics expert testified that the two bullets found in the wall between Mrs. Orr’s bedroom and bathroom and on the floor in her bedroom were of the .38 caliber size and were fired from the same weapon, likely a Smith and Wesson revolver. The expert further testified that the hole in a shattered clock in Mrs. Orr’s home also was consistent with a .38 bullet. However, on cross-examination, the ballistics expert testified that the police had not given him a gun that matched up with the bullets. The State’s serology expert testified that bloodstains found on a pillowcase and a bed spread in Mrs. Orr’s bedroom could not be typed; nor could urine and semen stains found on a bed sheet recovered from Mrs. Orr’s bathroom. The expert also testified that the bloodstains on Grayson’s shirt recovered from the woods near his house were type O and could have come from either Mrs. Orr or Kennedy, both of whom were type O, but could not have come from Grayson, who is type B. The serology expert testified that a large blood and semen stain on Mrs. Orr’s nightgown was type B, which was consistent with Grayson’s blood. Grayson provided garbled testimony in his own behalf, mainly to the effect that he was too drunk to remember anything. A jury took only two hours to find him guilty of murder and burglary. Kennedy was executed in Alabama’s electric chair at Holman Prison in Atmore on Aug. 6, 1999. The trial judge said, “The court cannot think of a case it has seen, heard, or even read, that would equal the cruelty shown in this case by the defendant to Mrs. Orr.” An 11th Circuit Court of Appeals judge said, “Grayson confessed several times, testified at trial about the murder and his role in it, and does not contend that he was denied a fair trial. The non-biological evidence against him was and is overwhelming. For example, Grayson admitted that he and Kennedy planned the robbery a week before; the victim’s wedding rings were found in Grayson’s wallet; Grayson’s bloody shirt was found in the woods near his house; and Grayson was discovered hiding in the woods after his mother told him of Mrs. Orr’s death.”

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