Kerry Lyn Dalton
Maintained by Victoria Ann Thorpe; Kerry Lyn Dalton's sister, Human Rights Activist, Author, Artist. CAGES is her most recent published work. More info at VictoriaAnnThorpe.com
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Actual Testimony from Kerry Lyn Dalton Trial
Sunday, July 30, 2023
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
News for Kerry Lyn Dalton
June 2021 San Diego Superior Court Ruling on Habeas case : upheld
July 2021 Filed to appeal the S.D. ruling
Filed to relieve existing counsel, and get new legal team; therefore the case is "stayed" until legal representation is in place
*Explanation for lack of updates; my apologies for no news on Kerry Lyn for quite a while. December 2017 I was in a serious auto accident which left me physically injured and suffering Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). I only found out this summer my back was broken (T7 was crushed, my lumbar are slipping). I had to drop out of pre law, and am no longer capable of traditional learning. The TBI has affected my work in every way. I am still in physical therapies, working to alleviate pain and function somewhat normally some day.
July 2021: After we received the ruling out of San Diego this summer we were left stunned and numb. Then we began to grieve the loss, the losses over these long years. The eight of us living here at our new home have been planning and praying for Kerry Lyn's return to us, and looking forward to her being here physically (not just in spirit, as she is all around us with her gifts of art, words, and photos) to enjoy life and family.
It settled very hard on my sister, and me. It was very difficult to look to the "next stage" in this journey. After all, over 26 years spent on California's Death Row, add the three years in S.D. jail awaiting trial, we're now looking at over 29 years spent...that's a lifetime.
Within a couple of weeks I knew I had to kick myself out of this funk I was in. It is my sister who is actually living a tortured life ON Death Row. I am safe, I have my family with me, I've been blessed with a comfortable home in the woods. Kerry needs us now more than ever. We will continue this fight to bring Kerry Lyn home and exonerate her from this crazy case.
We have been practicing prayer together every morning; asking for the truth to be revealed.
Now we must look for new legal representation, we need an enthusiastic, passionate team who will dedicate themselves to getting Kerry free.
Grieving another loss was weighing me down, so I began looking for inspiration. I needed enthusiasm, I needed hope, I need to be on fire for my sister as we move forward aiming for her freedom!
I often compare my sister's imprisonment with the misery of a prisoner of war experience, and my memory from childhood inspired me. A boy in my school, John Lasiter, was celebrating his father's homecoming; a P.O.W. The day their dad came home our community turned out in support, filling the neighborhood with clamoring well-wishers, excited to be part of the electric feeling of such a loving reunification. The tree in the Lasiter yard had been decorated with yellow ribbons. Some of you might recall the popular song of that time, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree", from which the Lasiters and their neighbors obviously took their cue.
That vision gave me a focus, I needed something tangible to ground me as well as inspire enthusiastic hope as we move forward in the fight to overturn this crazy case. So I bought a large roll of Sky Blue ribbon so our family could each tie a ribbon every day we set our hearts and minds on Kerry Lyn's homecoming.
The Sky Blue represents freedom, and the ribbons dance with the wind like a celebration.
The act of tying is a dedication to our efforts and dreams for our family member, my beloved friend and sister, Kerry Lyn.
We will bring her home.
Please join us in our dream, our work to exonerate Kerry Lyn and welcome her home one day. You can tie a blue ribbon at your home for her, or tie more each day you send out prayers and thoughts for justice for my sister. If you do, I would love to know about it. You can even send us a photo. Your participation will encourage us and Kerry Lyn would feel the hope through your support.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Let Me Breath
Today is the one month anniversary of the killing of George Floyd.
Today all United States residents should take a knee.
We all need to look at our country, our nation, our society, and its systems and flaws - some so deep we are killing our brothers and sisters with them.
Whether we are killing directly, such as police "over-kill", or through our laws, policies, systematic bias, or individual ingrained prejudices, WE are killing our brothers and sisters in a day and age this should have been long behind us...
The deep pain and scars have not been healed, they have been scratched open.
Today I pray everyone living in the United States would take some time to contemplate our pledge and our national anthem. Think about how those words DO NOT cover all;
Liberty and Justice for All
Land of the Free
Mr. Floyd cried out "I can't breath!".
His dying words.
Aren't those words exactly what the African Americans have been crying out ever since they were shipped here?
They seem like the perfect words to symbolize asking for the God-given right to breath free, to BE free.
To live as our pledge states, to be sisters and brothers on equal terms, given the same privileges as the European Americans who conquered this land. I do not say they wish to be given the same rights as their Native American sisters and brothers, because they were stolen and never returned.
I love my country, where else could I enjoy such freedom to speak my mind and pursue my own path in life, among many other freedoms and privileges. This country has great potential.
However, it is not great.
I am very disappointed by my country, like a child I love dearly, it has fallen so short of its potential.
It is not great,
but it could be.
Today I think about the horrifying video of Mr. Floyd's final minutes beneath the weight of a U.S. police office, crushing the life out of his brother, his fellow citizen.
I surely feel if that had been me in Mr. Floyd's situation the outcome would have been so different; as a female European descendant the statistics show the officer would have assumed I did not know I was passing a fake 20 dollar bill.
He would have given me the benefit of the doubt -
as was his job to do with any one.
I would have been questioned, probably politely, and perhaps asked to make a statement at the station.
We now know Mr. Floyd and that officer had a past relationship. That is no excuse. The officer abused his power to communicate his hatred. That officer revealed to the world his need to hate and crush his brother.
This has happened too often, once was too much.
Even here in my own state, even in my own community.
February 25, 2015, Pasco WA, Antonio Zambrano-Montes was fired upon 17 times as he fled police. He was pursued and killed for throwing rocks at the police. I watched the video horrified as he ran with his hands up.
In 2006, in Spokane Otto Zehm was killed by police, a developmentally disabled man who was just trying to purchase a cherry soda. It was ruled a homicide, the officer was given 51 months in prison for "excessive use of force".
2018, Wayne Scott Creach was shot and killed by a police officer, 74 year old man on his own property.
Shonto Pete was shot in the head, and survived, in 2007, by an officer under questionable circumstances. An officer known for violations with use of force.
Our policing system/culture is NOT protecting us. We need to overhaul and change it.
This is a link to Aljazeer, where they have honorably listed, by name and details, as many of the wrongful police killings that the public has been made aware of:
List of African Americans Wrongfully killed by police
Let Me Breath
I ask our nation to come together, take a knee, humbly ask for forgiveness, and begin the walk forward with ALL our sister and brothers, towards a compassionate society where everyone has the right to Breath Freely,
the comfort of being in public spaces without fear,
able to breath easy knowing they can choose their future,
experiencing the freedom of life that our nation promises to ALL.
Because right now our black sisters and brothers are screaming "I can't breath!"
reaching out for fairness, justice, equality, compassion, freedom -
all the things the euro-American population takes for granted.
Black Lives Matter.
It is not a statement to belittle.
It is a call to awareness,
it is an opportunity to bring new breath into our country, fresh breath.
All lives matter, however it is NOT all lives that are being killed.
It is our Black sisters and brothers.
I love the U.S.A., that does not mean I cannot see it's flaws and needs.
This is what people call tough love - eh? Look at the truth and begin the work to correct it.
Let us make America great together
by resuscitating the dream;
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed —
we hold these truths to be self-evident:
that all men are created equal.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
May we all begin dreaming such lofty worthy goals - together.
May we mourn for George Floyd's family and loved ones, and ask for his forgiveness for our lack of action on behalf of our Black sisters and brother.
Tomorrow is a new day. I pray as a nation, we accept the challenge, take a deep breath, and begin the hard work of change - together.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/remembering-george-floyd-devoted-father-gentle-giant-200531070908430.html
Monday, January 13, 2020
The true documented story of Kerry Lyn Dalton's trial is available again here in ebook form and here in paperback
Friday, January 10, 2020
Kerry Lyn Dalton California Supreme Court Opinion
At first glance, it seems Kerry Lyn Dalton has had her sentence reduced to 25 to life, however, as you read the Justices' list the fact is Kerry Lyn remains under the third count conviction for murder qualifying her to the death sentence, which was imposed by the trial jury.
The Justices state, "we vacate as unauthorized the death sentence imposed on the conspiracy to commit murder. We further vacate the lying in wait special-circumstances true finding." The justices found no facts supporting either of these counts (charges).
They finish with, "We affirm the judgement, as modified, in all other respects."
This was confusing to everyone, even the OSPD who represent Ms. Dalton.
The bottom line is; the justices removed two of the three counts against Kerry Lyn. The third one still qualifies her for the death penalty. Kerry Lyn remains on death row in CA, fighting for her life.
Her case is now at the State Habeas Corpus level. The Justices chose to send her case back to the original court, San Diego, to have that court review their own work, the trial in 1995. This is a new situation for CA, a result of Prop 66 (2016), they have the option of sending cases to their county of origin.
The Habeas review is meant to include ALL information, evidences, findings, reports, opinions, etc, having any bearing on this case and or trial. At this point the S.D. court has received all the same documents from the Auto Appeal, and the OSPD's Habeas file.
As far as we can determine, there is NO forensics report for the defense. A professional forensics expert can evaluate the evidence and create a factual report with a theory as to whether or not the accusations line up with FACTS.
In this case, where there are No forensics at all, a professional expert report would be a light on the situation. How does this alleged type of murder, or any murder, occur without leaving evidence behind? Especially when the accusations involve four meth addicts?
The jury claimed they convicted based on the type of crime this was. Where is the evidence of ANY Crime? There isn't any.
Remember, Judge Thomas J. Whelan told the jury the prosecutor could NOT use the terms murder or victim, he said the jurors would be deciding IF there was a crime. This during a capital trial? That doesn't sound possible in the U.S.A.
Why is it taking so long to process Kerry Lyn's case? Could it be some people do not want the TRUTH to be revealed?
No One deceased during a murder trial, and No death certificate for Irene Louise May even today.
We should all be concerned, and questioning our "system".