Jeff's Background
Jeff
grew up in Mt. Vernon, South Dakota, a small town where everyone knew each
other. The oldest of six children, Jeff was the only boy in the family. He
began drinking at the age of 9 years old. Alcohol came to play a significant role
in his growing up. He was angry about circumstances in his life, and alcohol
served to mask those feelings for the moment.
Jeff
was on his own by the age of 15, after having been kicked out of school. His
life was out of control. He blamed his father for everything bad that happened
in his life. This caused many problems with the authorities including the
police. He got involved with the wrong crowd and started getting high. After
awhile, his antics ended him up in the
At age
18, Jeff's mother died suddenly and he felt as if his world had ended. He felt
his mother was the only person that really cared about him, and now she was
gone. Shortly after that he was run over by a tractor, and ended up on the
hospital. After being sent home to recuperate, he decided maybe the Marines
could help him, so he joined.
Unfortunately,
his drinking followed him there and after a few months he ended up with a 2 1/2
year sentence for taking a joy ride in someone else's car and did time in a
After
he was released, he married and had two children. His drinking and drug habits
eventually cost him his family. He did some more time in prison, this time in
After
his release this time, he hitchhiked around the country, doing odd jobs to earn
his keep. He began his "travels" in
Jeff
tried treatment several times for his alcoholism, but he was
not ready to give up his anger and still blamed everyone else for his problems.
When he was 26 years old, his so-called friends set him up on a murder charge,
where he now serving a life sentence. It wasn't until he ended up behind bars
for life that he began to know what true freedom meant. Read the rest of the
story:
The
synopsis tells the facts of the events leading up to the murder, Jeff's arrest,
the investigation, and trial, as well as the investigation following his
conviction.
Jeff's story [Introduction]
[Jeff's
Background] [Case Synopsis 1981 - 2001]
Jeff and Judee's Story [Jeff & Judee] [Wedding]
[Our
Hope]
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