JUSTICE FOR GLEN SEALS continued from page 1

Glen Seals 263204 Death Row Louisiana State Prison Angola, LA 70712

The Case Against Glen Seals

Kevin Belile clocked out of work at 10:30 p.m., July 26, 1991. On his way home, he drove passed what appeared to be an injured person lying on the side of Earhart Expressway at the Clearview exit in Metairie, Louisiana. He then drove to a Shoney's Restaurant in search of a state trooper. Not seeing a patrol car parked there, Belile continued on to a pay phone at a Shell station and called 911. After identifying himself, his location, and providing as much information as he had, Belile returned to the spot where he saw the injured person. Police and paramedics arrived shortly thereafter. Only a few of their names, reports, or activities at the scene have ever been disclosed. At 11:27 p.m., Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Corporal Ralph Parker arrived and was assigned to take a statement from Belile. The victim had already been removed. From papers at the scene, police determined that  he was a taxi cab driver. His wallet, containing his identification, credit cards, and a few dollars, was in his pocket. Word was broadcast on the police radio that a cab driver had been murdered. Between 11:30 p.m. and midnight, Mr. Seals was stopped by Jefferson Parish Sargeant Edgar Merida on Causeway Boulevard. Mr. Seals was the front seat passenger in a taxi cab driven by Jayce Burbank. Mr. Burbank and Mr. Seals were ordered from the cab. Mr. Seals was questioned concerning bloody clothes in a bag on his side of the taxi. The bag also contained a red baseball cap. Mr. Seals stated he had been in a fight. Standing at the rear of the cab at gunpoint, Mr. Burbank was hit in his back with such force by the 280-pound Sargeant Merida that his false teeth fell out onto the trunk of the cab. Both men were transported to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office for further questioning. Back at the scene on Earhart Expressway, numerous police officers were continuing to question Belile. Belile disclosed in his suppression hearing testimony that "during while the report was being taken, they [other officers] were interrupting and confirmed what the suspect was apparently wearing". At 12:24 a.m., Officer Parker completed a short, one-page, written statement from Kevin Belile. In the statement, Belile claimed that he had interviewed the victim as he died on the side of the road and had learned several pieces of information from him: his name was Ray Feeney and he was robbed and shot by a black man with short hair, a moustache, and a red cap. Belile was the only individual reportedly to have seen and spoken with Feeney before he died. When the first officer arrived at the scene, only 6 minutes after Belile dialed 911, Mr. Feeney was already dead. The only known record of any statement ever made by Belile is his brief statement to Officer Parker that was completed at 12:24 a.m. At 1:07 a.m., at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, Mr. Seals signed a form indicating that he had been advised of his Miranda rights. It is the only documentation of his being so advised that night and into the morning. At 2:15 a.m., Mr. Seals gave a recorded statement in which he described getting into a fight earlier in the evening, as an explanation for the bloody clothes in his possession. He denied involvement in the shooting of the cab driver. At 3:22 a.m., Mr. Seals gave a second recorded statement admitting his involvement in the shooting, but explained the shooting occured in self-defense after the driver pulled his own gun on Mr. Seals. Mr. Seals stated he had known the cabbie from having previous rides with him. That night, Mr. Seals directed the driver to a location in a high crime area of New Orleans. On a dimly lit street in this neighborhood, the driver panicked, pulled his gun on Mr. Seals, and a struggle began. At the conclusion of his statement, Mr. Seals was arrested for first degree murder. At that time, Mr. Seals assisted the police in locating the gun, which he had discarded in a field, and the taxi cab.

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