Shadow Of The Needle

 We were home.....Karen told us to take a day off..She knew how hard we'd been working on this case and now we were just waiting for a trial date...

"It'll be nice having a day off won't it husband?" she said...

"It sure will....We've worked hard on this case...I want to win it real bad...basically because...I always felt this guy was innocent and like a lot of neighborhood guys I know...Didn't have the money for decent counsel and wound up on death row for something he didn't do...He was a victim of his race and circumstances...People like him is the main reason I got into this legal thing." I said.

"Don't ever let me hear you put yourself down like that again...You're decent counsel...You were then and you are now...You were just overworked ,over run with cases....Hell, we all were back then...It's kind of what made you, me, Brooke, Olivia, Beverly, Nelson, Jessica, Chip, Jazzy and Renee the tenacious lawyers we are...We got so much good practice at grinding..."said Natalie..

"Speaking of grinding" I said,pushing her up against the wall...

Natalie sighed and smiled... ''Well ,I see my little pep talk worked...You feel better already..." she said.

"Yessssss....I feel like a very good attorney with a big penis, who would like to put it inside you.." I said as we began kissing passionately...

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmm, Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu, You are incorrigible.." she laughed...as we continued kissing.

''And you are incredibly sexy." I said as I removed her bra and panties...

We lie across our bed kissing like kissing was going out of style..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE THE SEXIEST WOMAN ALIVE DAVID." she said.

"YOU ARE THE SEXIEST WOMAN ALIVE TO ME.." I said.

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW YOU ARE SO SWEET!" she said.

"OHHHHHHHHHHH...AWWWWWWWWW......UMMMMMM NATALIE." I said as I slowly entered her....She was as usual, very wet and her legs were shaking with anticipation...

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! JUST PUT IT INSIDE MEEEEEEE...OUUUUUUUUUU! LAWYER MANNNNN" she moaned as we began to make love..

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM YOU FEEL SO DAMN GOOD! I told you I was gonna eat you up..." I said.

"SO DO YOU!! OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! JUST GIVE IT TO ME DADDY....OUUUUUU!!" she cooed.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MYY GODDD DAVID! IT IS SO BIG AND HARD!" she moaned as we began making sweet love..

"UMMMMMMMMMM NATALIE, I TOLD YOU!!!" I said.

"David , I love you." whispered Natalie.

"I love you too Natalie..." I whispered....

We continued making sweet love.

And Next door....

Sean had Brooke up against the wall, kissing her passionately..

"Vanilla, do you love me because I've got a big penis?" he whispered in her ear..

She giggled like a school girl...

"No...Not just because of that...but it is a big selling point.. I loved you before I even got a glimpse of it..I loved you for your kindness, your patience, because you were and are a brilliant and caring attorney, with attention to detail....My kind of person...Of course when you unzippered your trousers and I saw it...Well that sealed the deal." she said.

They both laughed loud and long.

..and continued kissing. "Take my clothes off and take yours off so I can see it again." she whispered in his ear.

He smiled from ear to ear... "With pleasure.I think it's grown a few inches..." he said.

"Noooooo..It has not..." she laughed.

"See for yourself." he whispered.

"WOUUUUUUUUUUUU! OUUUUUUUUUU! MYYYY GOOOODNESSS!" she said....

He slowly removed her bra and panties

"UMMMMMMMM!" he moaned..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she cooed..

"VANILLA...I'M GOING TO SCREW YOUR BRAINS OUT!!" he moaned..

"OUUUUUUUUUU CHOCOLATE DADDY!PLEASE!" she cried out..

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW LAWWWWWWD!" he cried out...

She spread her legs out as wide as she could and took all of him in.....Her body trembled...Her head turned from side to side.. Tears streamed down her face...

She was having an intense orgasm....

"SEAN, I LOVE YOU!!" she cried out...using his name....

"BROOKIE, YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU!" he cried out..

"YES I DO....WOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she screamed...

And Next door....

"OHHHHHHHH NATALIE, BABYYYYYY!" I CRIED OUT....

"OUUUUUUUU DAVID, DAVID, DAVID.....I LOVE YOUUUUUUU...OUUUUUUUU!" she screamed.

"I LOVE YOU TOOO!!!!!!!!" I cried out.

And for the next EIGHT TO NINE HOURS....the beds in both of our homes were getting a good workout.

Sunrise found both couples..

Resting in post coital bliss.

II-

MONDAY MORNING-

It was nice having a four day weekend... Even nicer being back at work in our building with friends..

"I hear a trial date is coming soon." said Natalie.

"Our courts are so backed up...but I'm glad...Rennie has suffered long enough." I said.

"He's just glad he no longer lives under the shadow of the needle."said Brooke.

Thinking of the lethal injection chamber.

"I know....but he's this close to total freedom...It must hurt having to wait." said Sean...

"It's always nice to have this place to eat breakfast....I remember so many mornings when I worked in town that I missed Breakfast, sometime lunch too." said Jazzy.
 

"Yeah me too!  Sometimes i didn't feel like trekking to Sam Mothers." said Dabnis.

"A lot of times, I just didn't have time." said Kayla.

"Yeah me neither." said Ray.

"I remember sometimes, rare times...I'd run into you guys  when I did manage to go...and that butthead Lt. Tragg was always there." said Jessica.

"Yeah, he didn't miss a meal...but he wasn't as unhinged as he is now!" said Chip.

"He still was Handsy Hank..Always had his hands up my skirt."said Karen..  "Hey Guys...The Investigator, Milton Lewis will be coming here today to meet with us." said Karen as more food arrived.

"Yes, we know..We are anxious to hear from him ." said Natalie.

"Anything new can help us..Lord knows I could have used an investigator during the first trial." I said.

"David don't be so hard on yourself.. I read the transcripts from the first trial.. You did a damn good job yourself considering you were short handed  and working on three other cases, which you won...We had left the Public Defenders office then... Natalie and I would have helped you out."said Brooke.

Sean smiled.. "This is why I love my wife." he said and hugged her..

"That's not what you said last night....in bed." she chuckled....teasing him.

"Well Good Luck to you guys." said Zoey.

''And hurry up..We miss our little associate."said Lem, smiling and hugging Renee.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwww" said Renee, chuckling...She and her husband, Tyrell, had really helped us in the pinch.

"When we get to trial, we'll be playing from a position of power we weren't playing from in the first trial." said Tyrell, who remembered the first trial...He was a bailiff, a first year law student...He felt sorry for David during that trial.

"Yeah Hanging John was a bully...He's going to face a team of attorneys not overburdened with other work and who aren't afraid of him.."said Paris.

"That's the most important part, that right there." said Tony as they sat down with their meals.

 

 "Ummm like Jazzy said, It's so nice to have this place to eat all of our meals...When we worked in town, we missed a few meals." said Yvette.

"We sure did." said Keith.

"We missed all three one time."remembered Bee Bee.

"Yeah I remember, but we don't miss any meals now."laughed Sofia.

"Nope! Not one...."said Kahlil.

"And it's nice to eat with all of you guys..."said Jade.

More food arrived  as everyone was seated.

"Good eatin huh?" said Virginia to her husband, Jetty....

"Yes lawd." said Jetty with a smile, glad his wife and all of the rest of us were here in this building.. He and Karen had been the first tenents here....It was nice to see people he knew and to enjoy meals, conversations and laughs with them.

III-

We met in our conference room right after breakfast with investigator, Milton Lewis, an old P.I. that did a few favors for Donnie Ray.

"Hi guys...sorry it took me so long to get back to you." said Milt Lewis.

"That's okay....we've been busy working on what you have given us...."said Karen.

"Have a seat...Have some coffee." I said.

"There's cold water if you need it." said Natalie.

"We are just glad to have you as part of the team."said Brooke.

"Yes there was no investigator during the last case." said Sean/

"Both Olivia and Yvette always told me an investigator is an attorney's best friend.." laughed Renee.

"Yeah, they told me that too!"laughed Tyrell..

"They told you right?" laughed Milton Lewis....now here is the lowdown on the case...

Michael Rennie was convicted in the city of Philadelphia of a murder he more than likely didn't commit based on misconduct by a Philadelphia  detective later convicted of arranging and committing several murders and cover-ups on behalf of an organized crime family. To date, Michael Rennie has  served two years of a Death Sentence in prison before new evidence led to the reversal of his sentence and the ordsering of a new trial

. The Crime occurred  on the afternoon of November 4, 2019, the body of an African-American woman was found lying under a blanket near a busy Kensington intersection.

. She had been strangled to death and raped. The Investigation and Identification The lead Philadelphia Police Department detective assigned to the case was Louie  Polito.

. A witness told Polito that he had been jogging along Kensington Avenue  on the day of the crime and had seen a light skinned Black man and a dark skinned black woman sitting in a gray car parked a block from the Elevated Train Station at Margaret and Orthodox... The man said he then watched the light skinned Black man walk to the passenger side of the car and pull out a body, lay it on the ground and place a blanket over it. The jogger said the perpetrator noticed him after just three seconds and ran back to the driver side. Louie Polita apparently learned that Michael Rennie, who worked in a local Diner knew the victim. Michael Rennie voluntarily participated in a line-up and consented to a police search of his apartment. 

During the search, police found a pair of Black jeans that matched eyewitness testimony of what the perpetrator was wearing during the crime; however, the jeans did not fit Michael Rennie at all.. Police also discovered that Michael Rennie owned a gray car similar to the perpetrator’s car but Michael Rennie's car was inoperable, had two flat tires, and had not been driven for a substantial amount of time.

 During the police lineup, the witness who observed the perpetrator dispose of the victim’s body identified Michael Rennie as the perpetrator despite physical differences in stature and weight. he described the perpetrator as a Light skinned Black male about 5" 8. Michael Rennie is dark skinned and 6'4. 

 Additionally, a uniformed  police officer told responding officers he had seen the perpetrator but was never asked to identify the suspect in a police line-up. 

 An autopsy was performed on the victim’s body. Testing conducted on hair samples found on the victim was inconclusive.  Attorney David Charles

 asked for a second DNA test and for one by an independent DNA lab...He was refused both requests..

 The Trial- 

 ADA John Wiltshire's whole case was based on both eyewitness testimony and snitch testimony. The jogger testified about seeing a short light skinned Black man dump the body. Another state witness was a jailhouse informant who had a very close relationship with a criminal investigator 

William "Bull" Bailey.

 and an extensive arrest record. The informant, who had testified for the state in several other cases, testified that he spoke to Michael Rennie while he was in jail awaiting trial and Rennie admitted to killing the victim. Michael Renie denied this, saying the two barely spoke at all.

 A defense witness, who was also incarcerated with Michael Rennie pre-trial, offered contrary testimony that in conversations with Michael Rennie over a 4-month period, Michael Rennie always maintained his innocence. Based on the eyewitness and snitch testimony, Michael Rennie was convicted of First Degree Murder with special circumstances and sentenced to Die By Lethal Injection.. 

 Post-conviction Appealsby Attorney Justin Brown

Has led us to where we are now.

We need to order  DNA testing to prove his innocence beyond a shadow of a doubt.. The Appelate court  judge  has  ordered Wrongful Conviction/Conviction Integrity unit to search for the evidence — including the hairs and rope used to strangle the victim, DNA testing on any found items. Despite repeated searches for physical or biological evidence in the case, none could be found.

 Some of the evidence in the case had been reported as destroyed, other items were never found.in 2021 police began investigating Louie Polito, who had retired from the Philadelphia Police department., for alleged ties to organized crime. 

ADA Keith Wallace, Lt. Sissy Van Buren and the detectives from the Criminal Investigation Division began looking into 

 

Detective Louie Polito and his ties to both the Italian Mafia and the Russian Mafia

.
In a search of Louis Polito’s house in Chestnut Hill, they found among  other things Michael Rennie's long missing police file. Justin Brown hired me and with information the C.I.D. gave me, I have  requested the US Attorney’s office investigate Michael Rennie's’ claim of innocence. Louie Polito and another former Philadelphia detective have since been convicted of eight murders and several other charges based on evidence that they plotted and carried out murders on behalf of the Russian Mafia. 

In 2023, the eyewitness who had testified at Micheal Rennie’s trial that he had seen the perpetrator while jogging in the area recanted his testimony. He said Louie Polito had threatened his family if he didn’t identify Micheal Rennie in the lineup and again in court. He wanted 100 percent clearence.

 Based on the witness’s recantation, The Appelate court Judge vacated Micheal Rennie's death sentence and ordered a new trial...

Louie Polito is currently serving multiple life sentences for his foolishness." said Milton Lewis.

"Mr. Lewis, you are certainly worth your weight in Gold."said Brooke smiling.

''We could have used your services,both when we were Public Defenders and Assistant District Attorneys."said my wife, Natalie.

"Well I'm glad we have you now.." I said, smiling.

"My husband and  I will get that DNA from both the Medical Examiner's Office and an independent lab...I know a lab that Olivia and Yvette uses...Goggins Laboratories."said Renee.

"Yeah, we'll visit both of them tomorrow right after breakfast." said Tyrell.

"Goood, we are going to win this one folks." said Milt Lewis.

"I think so too!" said Karen smiling.

"If it wasn't Monday, I'd call for a toast." I said smiling.

Natalie liked seeing me smiling...She hugged me warmly...

Brooke smiled..

So did Sean...

"We are going to win this one."said Renee.

"We sure are." said Tyrell.

IV-

That night on the popular Syndicated Talk show that dealt with Crime and Legal Issues.. Karen's husband, Attorney and TV Talk Show Host and PODcaster, B.L. Benz  had us on his TV..show-HARD BOTTOM-

He was interviewing me as the Lead Attorney....Reminding everybody that I was the "David  who slew Goliath" in that other big case and that now I was taking on another big case....assisted this time by my wife, Natalie Charles, Brooke Marks, her husband, Sean Marks and Renee And Tyrell Jones...with the help of Milt Lewis, Private Investigator..

They discussed Michael Rennie , believed to be wrongly convicted and saved by the hard work of attorney Justin Brown

from the shadow of the needle.

That being the Lethal Injection Room at Greene Correctional Center, Pennsylvania, where Michael Rennie came very close to being executed for a crime he more than likely didn't commit.

At Curley's Bar two men were watching HARD BOTTOM-

One was Bull Bailey, who had supplied a snitch to his old friend, John Wiltshire for the prosecution, A snitch they both knew was a habitual liar.

and Lt. Tragg.... Louie Polito, now in prison had been a personal friend..He was furious that these attorneys were reopening this old case..

The swelling in his face had finally gone down...He was still heavily made up....He had no one to pick on tonight...None of the lawyers he loved taunting were here...They wouldn't be on a  Monday night, instead they were on that Judas's show HARD BOTTOM.....He was so angry, his entire body was shaking and he was still no closer to finding out the identity of the man who had been States Attorney Tanya Mosley's date that night , who had beat the snot out of him...He planned to bring him up o Assault and Battery charges...He planned to make an example out of him.

And at the Men's Correctional Facility...

Michael Rennie lie in his cell....No longer on death row, awaiting a new trial that could free him, thankful to be freed from the shadow of the needle.

(TO BE CONTINUED)