Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

[Editor's note: On June 1, 1999 Native American activist Eddie Hatcher was arrested and charged with 1st degree murder in the drive-by shooting death of a young man, Brian McMillan, in Robeson County, North Carolina. Eddie is known for the armed 1988 takeover of a local newspaper office, in an attempt to bring attention to drug trafficking and corruption in the county. Eddie has been held since June 1, 1999, without bail; the DA has no motive and no witnesses. Ballistics tests showed that McMillan was not shot with Eddie's rifle. Brian McMillan's mother has stated that she knows Eddie Hatcher did not kill her son. --Marsha Shaiman]

We have just recently learned that an individual witnessed the shooting into the home of Brian McMillian. Eddie Hatcher has sat in jail 14 months charged with the murder of Brian McMilliian. This reputable witness states that she clearly saw the vehicle and the "two men" who were doing the drive by shooting as her vehicle was directly behind the shooter's vehicle. She also attempted to give this evidence to law enforcement but they refused to take her statement. Eddie Hatcher's stand-by council, Ms. Sue Berry says enough is enough!

The local and State Law Enforcement have refused to accept evidence proving Eddie's innocence. They have hidden evidence, manufactured evidence and clearly obstructed justice. Ms. Berry says it is time to ask Federal Authorities to immediately investigate these charges and actions by Law Enforcement as clear and blatant Civil Rights Violations have occurred.

We are pleading for you to immediately contact NC Senator John Edwards and NC Congressman Mike McIntyre and demand a federal civil rights investigation in the Eddie Hatcher case.

Please write, fax, and call today and every day until Justice is served.

Congressman Mike McIntyre, 1605 Longworth Building, Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-2731~ FAX: 202-225-5773 E-mail: congncintyre@mail.house.gov

Senator John Edwards
401 W. Trade St. , Suite 219
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704-344-6154 ~ FAX: 704-344-6161

Thelma Clark
(Eddie Hatcher's Mother)

Over the last couple of months we have had several important victories in my case. As most of you know, I have now sat in jail for 13 months on charges of first degree murder. After eight months of judges recusing themselves from my case and doing all sorts of unethical and venomous acts against me, a fair-minded judge finally came to Robeson County.

In October 1999, I filed a petition for a Writ of Certiorari with the North Carolina Supreme Court challenging my being denied certain basic rights as a pro se defendant (acting as my own attorney).

On December 2, 1999, the Supreme Court held in my favor and ordered the Superior Court of Robeson County to make a determination as to whether I had a constitutional right to access to a law library, telephone, access to defense witnesses and expert witnesses, uncensored mail from defense witnesses, and private/contact interviews with defense witnesses. Upon its own motion, the high court also ordered the Superior Court to redetermine if it would not be more appropriate to detain me in the Robeson County Jail instead of on the death row unit of Central Prison, where Robeson County Sheriff Glen Maynor had forced me to be housed since June 1, 1999.

On January 3, 2000, the Superior Court ordered me to be moved to the Robeson County jail where I have since been held. On February 16, 2000, the Honorable Gregory Weeks, an African-American judge from Fayetteville, North Carolina, ordered that I did have a right to private/contact interviews with defense witnesses. Not only did he order this in court, but he also summoned Sheriff Maynor to the courtroom so that order would not be "misunderstood." It was also ordered that all of my mail would be uncensored and opened in my presence.

On April 10, 2000, Judge Weeks went a step further, telling the packed courtroom, "let me take the bull by the horns" and ordered that I did in fact have a constitutional right to private uncensored telephone access. He then ordered the Sheriff of Robeson County to install a private phone line for my use in one of the jail's private attorney rooms. And he ordered that the phone line had to be completely separate from the jail telephone system. One attorney stated that I had to be the only person in jail in the United States with a private phone line.

After months of a major campaign, and thousands of cards, letters and faxes from all over the world, landing at the North Carolina Supreme Court building asking that a fair, special judge be appointed to preside over my case, on May 17, the Supreme Court issued its second ruling in my case, ordering that the case was exceptional and that retired Superior Court Judge Jerry Cash Martin would preside over every aspect of my case. This was a most important victory as Judge Week's term had ended in Robeson County.

On June 1, a successful protest was held in front of the Supreme Court building in Raleigh, North Carolina. Supporters demanded an investigation into the illegal acts of agents with the State Bureau (SBI) of Investigation, who have been roaming the countryside asking individuals to admit their involvement in this murder. These individuals were promised minimal charges if they would agree to testify against me. They have been unsuccessful.

SBI agents also repeatedly approached a man, in April, asking him to submit to a polygraph examination to prove he was not involved in the murder for which I have been charged. This individual consistently refused to take the polygraph and on May 10, 2000, he was charged with the 2 a.m. ambush murder of a man, killing him with a high powered rifle just as the victim in this murder was killed.

In May, I filed a motion to dismiss due to vindictive prosecution, prosecutorial misconduct, outrageous government misconduct and improper investigation. This motion was supported by 50 pages of exhibits including affidavits, transcripts of taped conversations and other documents. I am expecting to be heard on this motion in August.

We are also in contact with former law professor Arthur Kinoy who, along with my former attorney William Kunstler, founded the Center for Constitutional Rights. Hopefully, he will soon be intervening in my case. I'd like to thank all of the countless individuals and organizations who continue to help us in this ongoing battle against corrupt, out of control government officials in North Carolina and Robeson County.

"The Case of Eddie Hatcher," a 20+ page booklet, details all the relevant events leading up to Eddie's current situation, from the 1988 takeover to interviews with witnesses in the current murder trial. To order single or bulk copies of the booklet, published by the Eddie Hatcher Defense Committee, contact them for the booklet or other information. Eddie Hatcher Defense Committee, P.O. Box 2702, Pembroke NC 28372, or contact Eddie's mother, Thelma Clark, by phone: (910) 582-2764 or by e-mail: thatcher2@email.msn.com

Write to Eddie Hatcher: Eddie Hatcher, c/o Robeson County Jail, 122 Legend Road, Lumberton, North Carolina 28358

Please visit Eddie's web site for information on events, materials, and regular weekly updates. On the web site, you can sign up for a listserv which sends out information about Eddie's case and related issues. URL: http://www.eddiehatcher.org