The French Quarter Stabber: Warren Harris Jr

0:05 H a wall, straight line, shackle change, Oh someome gird, it's calling my name. There is no mercy and it's been a tentery juice as the huge stream game Rango the three. I'm here, be.

0:46 By me to die. Inside these walls, inside the wild. Hadn't went the girl as I'm.

1:31 Hey everyone, and welcome back to Bloody Angola, a podcast one hundred and forty two years in the making, the complete story of America's Bloody is present. I'm Jim Chapman, and today I'm going to bring you the story of Warren Harris Junior, who was known as the French Quarter Stabber. So in nineteen seventy seven, headlines were being dominated in the city of New Orleans after a string of killings within a twenty mile radius of the popular French Quarter. All of these killings were brutal stabbing deaths, and all of them were near strip clubs or jazz parlors in the area. The victims were all single men, there were no signs of fourth entry into their homes, and three of the four known victims were gay. It began on Valentine's Day, February fourteenth of nineteen seventy seven, when a forty seven year old man by the name of Robert Gary was found stabbed to death in his apartment in the French Quarter in New Orleans. The Orleans Parish Corners Office performed an anal swab and results were positive for the presence of sperm, which indicated a sexual assault, so police they start investigating that. And while that investigation was going on, just a little over a month later, on March twenty first of nineteen seventy seven, thirty eight year old Jack Savelle was found stabbed to death at his apartment.

3:01 This was on Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans, and Jack worked for the very popular Warlines for Music, which was a music store in New Orleans that supplied band instruments as well as they supplied instructors for music. And he was an advertising rep there. And this guy was really well known in the area. New Orleans known for its music, right, so everybody knew this guy as a really good, decent human being. Now, a neighbor noticed his apartment door open and found Savelle stabbed to death. He had also been sexually assaulted, but Jack was not robbed. Both an undisclosed amount of money and a valuable camera were left untouched in that home and he was only stabbed once, but that stab wound was with a twelve inch kitchen knife, and police were able to determine that this stabbing took place between midnight and two am, so they're on the case right And less than two weeks after that incident, on April first of nineteen seventy seven, fifty nine year old Alden Delano was found stabbed to death in his apartment.

4:18 This was on Rural Street in New Orleans. He was found around seven thirty am and he was crouched in a kneeling position on his living room floor. He was not wearing a shirt nor underwear, and it appeared he had been sexually assaulted as well. Alden's pockets were turned inside out and his apartment was ransacked, and he was also stabbed with a kitchen knife. And when police looked into Alden's background, they discovered something that kind of shocked them. Alden also worked for Worleans Music as a piano teacher, which is the same place that Jack worked. Right stabbings less than two weeks apart, both killed in the same way.

5:06 Police knew they had a problem and that these killings were likely related, and it was shortly thereafter that another friend and coworker of both Jack's and Aldens was interviewed by reporters and he stated that he had been threatened on the telephone by a man who said quote he too was marked for death. He quoted the caller saying Jack was number one, mister Delano was number two, and you are going to be number three. So now police they really step up their investigation. But the killer wasn't going to wait for that. Just a day later, on April seventh of nineteen seventy seven, a man by the name of Ernest Pomier was found stabbed to death with fifty stab wounds at his ground floor apartment on Governor Nickel Street in New Orleans. And Ernest was a very well hit elderly man. He was seventy seven years old.

6:11 Neighbors would say he would sit on the sidewalk in front of his apartment in a folding chair and he would just play with his dog. He was just a very cheerful person, according to neighbors. His landlord is the one who found him, and he was also found in a crouched kneeling position. He had stab wounds in his back, his neck, his arms, and even his head. And Ernest as well wore no underwear and his pants were pulled down. Now, surprisingly, when the corner performed the autopsy, he determined that Ernest was not sexually assaulted. But outside of that, he fit the description of all the other killings except for one distinct thing. Unlike the other victims, Ernest was not gay.

6:58 And it really threw police kind of curveball because up to this point, all of the victims they were finding that they could tie to one person were homosexuals, and police were thinking that these were hate crimes. But now you've got a guy that is straight. He's elderly, so he's nowhere near the same age as all the other victims, and yet he's killed as well. It's almost like police had to go completely back to the drawing board. Now, by this time, the media had picked this up in full force. It was on all the papers. This is before social media, y'all, so it was news reports, newspapers, that's where you got information. And these killings were everywhere in South Louisiana being placed on the news and in newspapers, and it was affecting tourism in New Orleans, which the mayor wasn't happy about, so he starts pressuring the police, Hey, we got to find out who's doing this. As a matter of fact, residents of New Orleans would say they had never seen the French Quarter so deserted. Now in the meantime, on April thirteenth of nineteen seventy seven, just a week after Ernest was killed, a sixteen year old by the name of Warren Harris Junior was arrested in front of let's call it, a low rent motel, which was located about five blocks from the French Quarter. And

8:28 when police arrested him, he was attempting to rob and stab a tourist, and of course he's immediately placed in the Orleans Parish jail and he's charged with arm robbery and attempted murder of that tourist. So police interview him in Warren Harris. During these interviews, it comes out to believes that he is not a fan of homosexuals. As a matter of fact, he was described as having a revulsion to homosexuals, and police started pressing him on if he knew anything about the French Quarter stabbings, and he subsequently confesses to four of the murders that had occurred in the last two months in New Orleans. So before we go any further, let me tell you a little bit about the history of Warren Harris Junior. He was born in New Orleans in nineteen sixty one, and he was raised by his mother and maternal grandfather, and his grandfather was a very well respected Baptist minister in New Orleans.

9:32 And he had five other siblings, but kind of a rough childhood. He got in trouble a lot in his younger days. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade, and even before the age of sixteen when he was arrested Minji, he had already been in trouble for per snatching, petty theft in other crimes. However, in nineteen seventy four, police caught up to him after he tried to steal a car, and at the time of this car theft, he was only thirteen years old and he was incarcerated in a youth institution in New Orleans for a while for that crime. So that's a little history on him prior to this arrus. There's not much more history than that because he's only sixteen at this point, but he does indeed confess to these four murders, and he gets charged in the killing of Robert Gary Jack savall Al Dea Delano in Ernest Pomier. Now, even at the age of sixteen, Warren Harris Junior was living on his own and he was living at the time with a transsexual and that transsexual came out in papers and she said, no, he don't hate homosexuals, because if he did, why didn't he kill me. Now, shortly after he was charged, Harris appeared for a hearing with a magistrate judge and it's at that point that the sixteen year old tells the judge, I can't afford a lawyer. So he gets a court

11:04 appointed attorney by the name of John Lawrence to represent him, and he's ordered to be held without bond, And as is typical, at his hearing, he pleaded not guilty to the murder chargers. You're not gonna plead guilty to four murders. You have nothing to gain by doing that unless you can work out some sort of deal. At the time, and the defense attorneys they do what they do. The first thing, they tried to say he was mentally incompetent, to stay in trial, which is very typical when confessions are involved. The problem for Warren Harris Junior's defense team was he confessed. Of course, they then focused on those confessions, and incidentally, they were signed by Warren Harris Junior, and the attorneys tried to say the police interrogated him for ten to fifteen hours to get those confessions, that they wouldn't allow his mother to see him or be present for the confessions, etc. Anything they can do to get those confessions off the table, but none of that will work.

12:07 Then Harris Junior creates a story that he was forced into signing these confessions under dores. He said that the police threatened to kill him if he did not sign them. It was later determined that that was bullshit and the judge denied the attorney's motion to throw that confession out. So on May thirty first of nineteen seventy seven, three psychiatrists who examined Warri's Harris Junior, they tell the judge that he indeed understands the charges against him, and so there goes that incompetency defense that they were trying to mount for Warren Harris Junior. So the trial starts in October of nineteen seventy seven. In some of the notable events that took place at the trial, officers said that Harris made oral statements about all four stabbings and that that's why they charged him. Harris initially claimed to be a witness at Delano's death. He said that a man nicknamed Cliff had done the killings, but the detective testified when he was pressed for details that Harris just spontaneously came forth and said Cliff didn't do it. I did it.

13:22 That statement was signed by Harris, and in it he said Delano struck up a conversation with him on the bus and asked him if he would help in moving some furniture. Harris then went to his house, and Harris said he offered me a beer and I took that beer. I was involved in a sex act with mister Delano, and he gave me ten dollars and I left. The statement said Delano invited Harris to return whenever he wanted to, and Harris said that he returned three times and killed Delano on that final visit. When quote, he tried to force me to do something that I did not want to do. He tried to rape me. Pathologist doctor Paul McGary.

14:02 He testified at the trial that he found seventy eight stab wounds seventy eight when he examined the body of Ernest Pormier. He testified that the stab wounds were made by at least two different weapons, one with a thin blade in the other with a broad blade. Other medical experts also testified, and they said that two of the other men were killed with a single stab wound, while a third was stabbed three times. A witness testified at the trial of seeing someone run past her the night of Pormier's death. She said, I saw the flash of the blade of a knife. It was a very long knife. It seemed to be a foot to a foot and a half long. When asked if she saw the person with the knife in court, she pointed out Warrenhirs Junior and said he appears to be the same person I saw run past me. Now, despite the defense objections, oral and written confessions were red in court. In the confession to the murder of Delano, Harris said he tried to rape me. I ran into the kitchen and I got a knife and I quote jugged him. I thought he was still alive. So I put a pillow over his head.

15:14 Harris claimed in court that Pormier tried to rape him, and remember Pormier was the only victim, y'all that was not sexually assaulted. Harris said, he tried to rape me, and I jugged him. He did the same thing that Delano did, and I killed him. So the defense continued to claim that Harris was forced to sign confessions after hours of intense questioning. Then Harris took the stand in his own defense and he told the court that he was threatened by a detective to confess or he would quote take me off and shoot me in the head and throw me in the river. Ten policemen were brought into the court room and lined up, and Harris picked out the six that made threats to him at that point, and prosecutors claimed privately that Harris had picked out different off during an identical lineup during a hearing just a few months prior. Prosecutors alleged that Harris was a sex worker who committed the murders after having sex with his victim, and Harris was convicted of murdering three of the four men.

16:15 The state court jury recommended life in prison without the possibility of parole or probation, and the jury of seven men and five women deliberated just two hours and twenty five minutes before convicting Harris of three of the murders. The assistant DA actually asked for the death penalty, but the defense attorney, of course recommended life, and he cited Harris's age and mental records as reasoning for that. Now, Harris was acquitted of murdering Robert Gary. The jury just felt there wasn't enough evidence to place Harris at the scene of that crime. But he was convicted of the murder of Jack saval Alden Delano and Ernest Pormi. So on November seventeenth of nineteen seventy seven, Harris was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences. And remember he's only sixteen years old. So right out the gate, he goes to Orleans Parish Prison, and he's not exactly what you'd call a model prisoner. As a matter of fact, on July of nineteen seventy nine, Harris gets indicted for some trouble while in prison. And I'm going to reference a quick article by the Daily Advertiser, and this was written on July twentieth of nineteen seventy nine, and it reads a convicted murderer who prayed on homosexuals has been indicted on

17:45 charges of raping another inmate at the Orleans Parish Prison. Warren Harris Junior, dubbed the French quarter Stabber when he was sentenced two years ago to three life sentences, is charged with four counts of aggravated crimes against nation tature in three counts of aggravated rape. He was seventeen years old when he was convicted of the killings, including the murder of an elderly man who was stabbed seventy eight times with a kitchen knife. Harris and two other inmates are accused of sexually assaulting a fellow inmate serving a one year sentence for aggravated battery. Also indicted by Pears Grand jury were Lionel Hooks, thirty three, and Kevin Dimaningus, who was twenty so raping a man doing a short stint in prison after he sentenced to prison tells you a lot. And Harris eventually makes his way to Bloody in Gola, and he's a juvenile lifer, And as we've discussed in the past, the law pertaining to juvenile lifers changed where if juveniles were sentenced to life in prison when no parole, they at least got a chance at parole once that law changed. So in twenty twenty one, Warren Harris Junior, who's a convicted serial killer by any definition you can find, he gets resentenced and his resentence is life with the possibility of parole. Now, this new

19:17 law stipulated if you were sentenced to life with no parole, you had to serve at least twenty five years and had to earn you ged, and if you had no major disciplinary actions for at least a year, you would get your parole. Shot. Doesn't mean you're going to get parole, but you get a shot at it. And in twenty twenty three, Harris does earn his ged on his six attem and at that point in time he had been disciplined free for seven years. So I'm going to reference an article for you from CNN. This is dated April twenty seventh of twenty twenty four, and you're not gonna believe what you're about to hear. He directed his remar to the families of the three men he robbed and fatally stabbed when he was sixteen and high on heroin in New Orleans. Sitting at a table in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, Harris, now sixty three, talked in a video conference about the guilt that has gripped him while serving life in prison at Angola. Family members of his victims were not at the April seventeenth hearing. Quote. I have a few nephews, Harris said during the hearing with the pearole Board. I have one I constantly pray for, and I wish to reach him before anything happens to him, or before he winds up in prison. Not just him, maybe a few of his friends. You know. It was an apology forty seven years in the making. The murders happened during an eight week span from February to April of nineteen seventy seven. Fear spread in New Orleans that

20:50 a serial killer was targeting gay men in the French Quarter, where officers on horseback were put on patrol around strip joints and jazz club on Bourbon Street. Quote. It was a very horrific crime. But I do feel that you've done all you can do in Angola. That from parole Board member Curtis Pete Freeman Junior, a former state director on Probation in Parole, who provided the critical second vote needed for Harris's release. Harris White tears from behind his glasses. He's now among the roughly one hundred and twenty one juvenile lifers to be granted release via a parole hearing or negotiating resolution with prosecutors since a twenty seventeen law made them eligible after serving twenty five years. Under the law, a juvenile lifeer resentenced and offered parole eligibility must obtain a ged, spend a year without major disciplinary write ups, and meet other requirements. In twenty twelve, Miller versus Alabama, the High Court ruled life sentences for juvenile offenders without the possibility of parole violated the Eighth Amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The court relied on research showing that young people are scientifically different from adults, their brains and self control not fully developed. In Montgomery versus Louisiana in twenty sixteen, the Supreme Court made the Miller decision retroactive.

22:16 After the Montgomery decision. In twenty sixteen, some two hundred and ninety seven Louisiana prisoners were eligible for resentencing. According to Hannah van Decar, deputy Legal director of the Louisiana Center for Childer's Rights, about one hundred and fifty of them are still incarcerated. At least eighteen of the two hundred and ninety seven died behind bars before the hearings. Van Decor said. The United States is the only nation that sentence people to life without parole for crimes committed before eighteen, according to The Sentencing Project, a nonprofit that studies inequities in the criminal justice system. Harris was a teenager when police arrested him in a motel room after receiving a tip. He was indicted on four counts of first degree murder in nineteen seventy seven. According to a summary of the nineteen eighty appeal of his eventual conviction on three of the counts, the victims lived alone within a seven or eight block stretch of the French Quarter.

23:12 Harris met them on bus or on the streets. The State Supreme Court upheld his conviction, ruling in part that Harris's confessions, which he said were made under duress after officers threatened him, were freely involuntarily made. At the April parole hearing, board member Steve Prater, a former Shreeport police officer and Caddo Pears sheriff, told Harris's crime seemed quote almost like a serial killer unquote very astute Cato Paars sheriff. With my background, that's what it sounds like. So what was the mo of this serial killer? Prater asked, before voting to keep Harris in prison. Quote. I was in need of money to support that drug the drugs I was using at the time, said Harris, a sheaf of papers on the table in front of I was becoming affiliated with some of the victims and was asked to accompany them to their home. And at the time when we entered the home, I robbed and killed those men and I regret it. I am so sorry every day. Parole board member Jerry Lddeaux, who voted in favor of parole, told Harris that before her decisions, she often asked herself, would I be afraid to live next door to this person? I believe you're ready for the streets, she said, and that blew my freaking mind.

24:27 You wouldn't be afraid to live next to a serial killer? Miss Ludeaux. At one point, she asked, I want to hear in your own words, mister Harris, why should we consider letting you out? And he said, quote, I have rehabilitated myself. God has allowed me to reevaluate my wife and set out on a positive course. He said he stopped being around negative individuals in prison. At Angola, Harris has become a prison trustee inmates, entrusted with certain jobs and responsibilities, and has not been written up for discipline since twenty seventeen. He learned landscaping and other trades, earned his ged and completed substance abuse courses. He is a member of a gospel band as well as the Pure Heart Messengers singing group. According to testimony at the hearing, and it just goes on to discuss some other things that were said at the parole hearing that you absolutely got to hear. And I actually have that parole board hearing that I'm going to play for you. But there you have it. In April of last year, a legit serial killer was parolled from Louisiana State Penitentiary to Angola.

25:39 Now my thoughts, honestly, I was shocked. This wasn't one of those situations where this guy lost his shit on PCP killed someone and it was totally out of character for this guy. It occurred when you know the persons fifteen or sixteen, and it was a one off. And not that any of that is good, and not that those be don't deserve to stay in prison, but you're talking about a guy that killed at least three people, likely four, possibly more via stabbing them to death, which is a brutal and emotion filled type of killing. So it goes to jail for it, and while in prison, rapes another inmate and catches yet another charge. I don't know what eventually happened with that charge, but he was sure charged with it. It's just insane for me to think he gets out of prison ever, just my opinion.

26:41 Now peris parole conditions. He's going to remain under supervision for the rest of his life, meaning he'll have a parole officer he has to report to. But this one boggles my mind. So what were they thinking? Well, I want to be fair here, so in this clip you're gonna here from both Warren Hairs Junior as well as the parole board. And here it is in full that parole board where Warren Hairs Junior was released from present mit tires. I'm gonna read some information for the record. Please stop and correct me if you think anything is wrong. Okay, sir, yes, okay.

27:23 First off, you've said your name and your DOC number. You are serving a life sentence on three murders. You were sentenced in nineteen seventy seven to life sentence and at the time I think you were sixteen year oo. Yes, sir, I was okay, all right, Your case today has been signed to miss Le Duke. Please answer any records that she may have will questions, ma'am. Mister Harris. I don't know that I've seen anyone as diligent to try to get their GED as you have been.

28:09 How many times have you taken the GED class the. Testing, ma'am? It has been maybe three or four times. Yeah, and you worked hard to get that. You just received that last. Year, yes, ma'am. So, mister Harris, you were a juvenile lifer and were you resentenced or were you just given parole? Do you have to go back to court to be resentenced? I was recentenced, just ma'am. And in what year was that?

28:51 I believe in twenty two ma'am, I'm not certain. You may have speak of my attorney concerning that. I would like to, Yes, ma'am, would you affirm what they as were sentenced. Twenty twenty one? I relieved it was in. That's okay, just the year's fine, twenty one. That's the reason I'm asking that question is because although you've had one hundred and twenty eight write. Ups, yes, ma'am, it's. When occurred in seventeen. Yes, ma'am, it was four years before you knew you had an opportunity maybe to get out. Is that correct, yes, ma'am.

29:33 So what happened? What flipped the switch in seventeen? Finally, why did you stop having problems in prison in twenty seventeen? I stopped. I stopped being around negative individuals now and allowed myself to only affiliate with positive individuals who were doing positive things. I engaged in my fellowship regularly. That took up most of my time. Well, I note that you did get involved in faith based activities around.

30:15 That time, yes, ma'am. I have you. Started engaging in a lot of the opportunities in that particular subculture of the prison, the faith community. That's, ma'am. I come from Christian background. My family has always been spiritual believers, and I continue, well, are. You restarted, because it looks like you weren't in the right track for many years there. I was not. No, I was not, ma'am.

30:56 I read the background of the case itself be heinous crime. Yes, ma'am. I take full responsibility now, I really do, and I regret that that had ever happened. So you have taken victim awareness, yes, ma'am, I have. I want to hear in your own words, mister Harris, why should we consider letting you out.

31:41 I have. Rehabilitated myself. God has allowed me to re evaluate my life and set out on a positive course. That positive course had led me to obtain several certificates and healthcare provider uh. I'm skilled in landscaping as various other UH trades, janitorial, uh HU and uh at present. I am an academic genius the literacy too, and I feel that I will be able to contribute to society in which the community I will live given the opportunity.

32:33 Were you personally aware of any of your victims or where these chants happening? Do you know I wasn't I wasn't familiar with any Oh, man, I was not, uh record. It indicates that you haven't had family visits. But I do see that you have your sister and a niece, so you've been having pretty often at the ma'am. Only only when only when they are able to Uh, my baby sister whenever she cad she's here. My niece whenever she's whenever she is available and has the time, she would come.

33:27 Also, Oh, what is what is your greatest challenge looking at possible parole? What is? Do you have any concerns or what is your greatest concern if you get out? Ma'am. I have. A few nephews. I have one that I constantly pray for, and I wish theresia before it didn't happened to him, or before he winds up in prison. Not just him, maybe a few of his friends, you know, I would like to reach him.

34:19 I may. I'm going to reserve the right to come back and ask more questions later, but at this time, mister Freeman, I'm gonna run it back up. Mister do you have any questions? Yes, sir, mister Harris, yes, you planned or you were found guilty of killing three were those at different times. Tell me about the time in between. The it was different times? How long was it between each one? I'm trying to understand the crime. I don't came back to glory details. According to the records, it was from February thirteen, I believe until April six, I believe.

35:03 Okay, So the length of time of what And there was a fourth a fourth murder? Did you commit that one? To you? I was proud, not guilty. I was froud, not guilty, sir okay? Did these all take place at the same. Place, the same area, within the same area, sir okay. And I'm trying to distinguish and and find out. It's it sounded almost like a serial killer, Okay. I mean that's with my background, that's what it sounds like.

35:50 So what was the mo of this serial killer? I understand, Uh, I was a young juvenile teenage sense of direction, that high school dropout, swalling, all kinds of pills and everything you could think of at that time. Yeah, And I just sorry it happened. Mhm. I just wasn't in the right state of mind, sir. Yes, I mean, did you did you set this up? Set these murders up? In order to rob the people.

36:34 It wasn't it was not a set up. It was not a set up at all. Then why would you why didn't you? I was in need of money to support that drug the drugs I was using at the time. Uh h. I I became affiliated. With some of the victims you know, and was asked to accompany accompany them to their home, and at the time.

37:21 When we entered the home, I robbed and killed those men and I regret it. I'm so sorry every day. I regret. That's all without here, Thank you, Miss Terris. Okay, mister, I have one question. What what have you done to address your drug problem that you've been in ango. I have taken a drug courses living in balance? Uh still one and two?

38:03 All right? Uh you get out, sir? Do you plan on following up when you if you work, Yes, sir, I will certainly follow up, and I'm sure mister Myers or I have some stuff to say about that when he speaks. Okay, I have no further questions. Uh So now we will go to the family. First. ROBERTA. Harris, sister in law. Okay, you want to speak first. I just wanted you go up after the podium name.

38:47 He had Warren. I am his sister in law. I met Warren through his brother, David. I'm married to David. Met Warren in seventy six. When brother and I. When I met Warren, he was this kind and gentle person. He stayed right next door to the grandmother, Miss Julia, and Warren was always kicking care. He looked out for He made sure she had everything. He made sure his mother had everything. He made sure his siblings had everything. But like he's admitted, the drugs that he got over hold up to, it just did something to his mind to just make him do things out of the ordinary.

39:30 But he was raised in a Christian family. His grandfather wasn't being a Sai mother saying the choir. They were white church on Punde. I like to say a month he got out into the into the streets and the drugs and got a hold of his minding. His brain dropped out, and then we just don't know what happened from there, but we still love it. Okay, thank you, ma'am, thank you. Okay, uh mister carry mine. Good morning, Kerry Myers with Louisiana Parole Project. This board already knows mister Harris was sixteen years old, addicted, had been addicted for some time before he committed these crimes.

40:19 We also know that the sixteen year olds and an addiction can lead to some horrible consequences. We know why the brain science says that to juveniles are different. But mister Harris, I think miss Leeduce said it correctly. Seven years ago. The light completely clicked on before he knew he was going to be parole eligible, and he rededicated his life spiritually. He worked very hard on his ged his programs. Mister Harris is now not a sixteen year old addicted child. He is a sixty four year old man who has served forty six years for these crimes.

41:00 He has a support system. One of the things that will happen immediately address any concerns that you may have about that, mister Freeman, is he will get an evaluation of substance abuse of and mental health evaluation from our social work staff and we'll make sure that any recommendations are followed through that. Not only that after forty six years at from a sixteen year old now to a sixty four year old man, he's going to need the type of services that we can provide that, in essence, detoxification from the institutionalization that he's been involved in for the last forty six years. And that's what our program is absolutely geared to do. Will He will learn technology, He will in steps, he will learn social norms which are certainly different from when he entered prison. He will have the ability to continue to access our social or department.

42:07 Uh. He will learn financial management. He is employed, he is still healthy, he is still employable, he has employment waiting for him. His sister has offered him housing and has been supportive throughout this time. We're here to help him through that for as long as it needs to be and once he's completed our program, mister Harris has a has a strong support system. So we would just ask this board to consider the fact that you know, he is not the sixteen year old addicted child that committed these crimes regardless. Uh, it's it's you can't minimize any of the actions. They were horrific, but this is the whole capacity to grow and mature is the reason we're here today. And so we as this boy to consider all these factors today in making their decision.

43:09 Before I go to the subject and the lawyer wag Kalvu. Do you have any comments you would like to make, Yes, sir, good morning. Uh, you know you were talking about the history of Warren Record. And yeah, at one time. He did have a class I say trustee's status. He worked in beautification for us outside the Fences for eight years, then fifteen lost at on a write up at that other write up in seventeen he's worked his way back up to a class A again when he did back in twenty seventeen, works his way back up to a men be. His job was a union supply sockware.

43:52 Of course in the warehouse he was responsible for a lot of inventory that was worth a lot of money. And those jobs or jobs that we will put inmate skins that we can trust to the degree of even with oversight, that they're going to do a good job for us. And he did that. Until eighteen when he went into the full time GED and so I think he was six times in. His ge attempts and finally there and now he's a tutor. So yeah, he definitely in seventeen, as you guys stated, has done a good job in turning that corner and maintained his process and give the projections where.

44:41 He is now, so his focus has changed. Thank you boy. Sure, okay, mister Harris, would you like to make us statement? Yes, sir, ma'am, this Palmer has spoken pos Catholic. Had his speaker seek, no, we hadn't. Ms Palmer, would you like to. Speak, yes, sir, Thank you so much for this opportunity. Yes, ma'am, good morning. I'm Warren Harris baby's sister, and we all were disobedient, so our mother and our grandparents coming up. I was pregnant at fourteen, I was a grandmother at forty and throughout the years we all have turned our lives around and went back to the foundation on which we were brought up on, and that was the foundation of Jesus Christ.

45:50 I have seen Warren grow throughout the years we all were in prison, those forty seven years with Warren. Like I said, we were all disobedient as children, and I got pregnant. I was smoking weed. I was inn abusive relationship with my children's father. But throughout the years we stayed connected. I had been going to the prison since I was four years old. Our father was in jail since twenty eight. Our mother was abandoned by her first husband and then abused by our father, which was in jail for twenty eight years. Then Warren he's been in there for forty six and out my other brother he's been back and forth for fifteen years. So we've all returned back to the foundation on which we were brought up on. Thank God for that. I've seen Warren mature.

46:46 He's helped me throughout the years. I've sent photos when photos were accepted. I've sent money throughout the years, visits throughout the years when our mother was living. Now that she's gone. Now I'm a great grandmother at the age of sixty. So Warren has been like a father uncle to my children, my grandchildren, and we lean on each other. When I go and visit. I don't just go to visit him, go because I need him. He's been a support to me with the JEDP and the emails. He encourages me. He sends me letters and prayers throughout the and so I'm here to be here for him till the day God calls us all home. I've seen the change in all of us, how we've changed our lives and living the way our parents really intended us to live.

47:51 But I think you offer this opportunity, and I think my parents for raising us up in this faith. Based because thirty seven years ago this opportunity was not possible. But we prayed and asked God to forgive us of our sins and to have mercy upon us, to pity us and spare us. And so this day He has made this day possible. And I thank you for the hope of it, and I thank you for the joy and just the confirmation.

48:36 Thank you, bam, appreciate it. H Okay, it's uh Florusca. You're ready, Yes, ma'am. Perhaps you wanted one to speak first. Listen, however y'all want to do it. Usually the inmate speaks first, so it's up to you. Is your hairs speak? Curse? Okay, mister Harris, your attorning you speak. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity this morning I have I now have the opportunity to address this of all family, Farmer family.

49:22 And a Dlago family. This matter should have been addressed years ago, but because of matters, concern and contact, I was not able to do so. To each family members of the victims, I sincerely apologize for taking the lives of your loved one. I'm truly sorry and regret what had happened forty six years ago. Your family has suffered many years missing someone very special who has been taken away from you. I'm truly sorrow. During my years of incarceration, guilty finish has gripped me deeply. My guilt has motivated me to call out to God, asking for his help for change within myself.

50:19 My prayer had been asked. God allowed me to reevaluate my life and set me out on a positive course. I become a servant the very given my time and the very little resources I have, helping those who cannot help themselves. I continue praying, asking God to give me the ability and to continue to allow me to be a positive influence to those around me. I'm truly sorry and regret the offense I had committed. I apologize to the community, but these crimes were committed. I'm very sorry and very remonst I appreciate this opportunity that has been given me.

51:21 Thank you God, bless you, Thank you well. Now I'm just lor sca good warnam. My name is Abigail Floresca and I'm a student attorney at Little Low Lack It representing mister Warren Harriss. In nineteen seventy seven, mister Harris committed devastating for whole crimes, taking the lives of multiple men and striking fear and pain throughout the community. As you've heard today, mister Harris is deep remorseful and a shame to his crimes, and he's carried that remorse with him every day for forty six years. Aim these forty six years, he's channeled that morpse and you're processing the armed you caused and becoming with mature sixty three year old in the athletist now today, I know the board is well known of more versus bottomly, how even children who commit Haines crimes still have the capacity to change. Mister Harris is truly the mosonification of that ability to change his life. Shows that our children are removed from abuse, drugs, violence and dysfunction, they can become totally different. Sixteen year old one Brianna streets and didn't follow the molds secret. Sixty three year old mister

52:53 Herricks is a trustee and hasn't kind of right up insidens. Year old Warren did all he could to numb himself with drugs. Sixty three year old mister Harris finds peace and joy from singing and gospel vans at the Transformation Gospel Bands, Pure Heart Messengers. His favorite song to sing its Winking Inperiens. Sixteen year old Warren sat in his grandfather's church nodding off eye on Harold. Sixty three year old mister Harris's earned forty long certificates for by her studies and its contributions to the industries such as the leadership fields. Sixteen year old Warren took the lives of multiple men. Sixty three year old mister Harris takes spherically eltily and the sick in musts. Sixteen year old Warren dropped out of the grade and didn't.

53:52 See a future for himself. Sixty three year old Winster Harris spent two decades trying to get its high, and he'd finally earned his plum. He immediately turned around and became a literacy trigger helped me others achieve. The same thing that he did. Mister Harris has earned a trouble of fifty six certificates for programming and accomplishments. Throughout his stand in prison, he was dedicated to learning many years before you were past and what was even impossibility. The Ward has asked about mister Harris's land for recovery from addition of drugs, given his history, and mister Harris has recognized that recovery is a life process and he will always be combat and it's always seemed to be a part of his life.

54:45 But he's willing and ready to draw narcotics, anonymous medians and any anything else that the Whole Project is also going to support in with finding those resources. I remmuted in will packet a list of local narcotics anonymous meetings in the area where he's going to be with me should the board rule. Mister Harris has the support of his family, his friends, and a dual project. As you've heard, the pro Project is going to help him with the entry and everything that he's going to be meeting navigating coming to the Three worlds after forty six years. His sister Brenda has supported mister Harris's entire time in prison, visiting him, supporting him, and she's ready to give back to as well. Mister Harris is also hoping to give back as a herd, mentoring his nine grand nieces and nephews, continuing to sing and worship and doing landscape passion he discovery, while will striving to make the world around the more beauth The significance of Miller hearings is that children the extent the majority of their lives in curser, you have the opportunity to show the change, and in forty six years, mister Harris has done just that. Today he's a trustee nan of Faith, literacy tutor and a source of support.

56:18 To those who have astro. Savory wrote, he has a part of the people and a life that reaches those who see to be unreached. In light of the person that mister Harris is today, we urged the honorable Board to bring up closer years. Thank you very much. Okay, well. I will vote well, this will do that. You advocation will vote first.

57:00 Their hair is h You have to understand all of us take this role very very seriously. And I read all two hundred pages of your of your file several times, and I have I have gone back and forth on this. Hearing you today was very insightful. You have a low risk assessment on the tools that we are provided with.

57:42 You have good plans for your release. You have what I consider adequate institutional educational accomplishments. I can't change what you have done, but in taking the lines of those people, many times I ask myself before I make a vote, would I live next door to this person? Would I be afraid to live next door to this person? Mister Harris, there's still some things in your record that can sern me, some of the write ups that you've had, especially the twenty ones. I'll be honest, I twenty one. But at this point, after thirty seven years of incarceration, I believe that you're ready for the streets. And so my vote today is to grant parole with the condition that the par project tuned in very carefully to your needs for your giving you the tools to make good dess sessions.

59:00 Okay, so love that is chick aren Okay, thank you, h mister Pray. I've heard some very strong arguments and recommendations today, and I flawgm with to harents for your growth and the accomplishments that. You've uh that you have accomplished. I think you're truly repented of what you've done. I think we all have our mission fields and life. I'm a strong believer in that I truly believe that your mission field is there at Angola, at Louisiana State's Penitentiary. And it's similar to I guess in my mind, it's similar to a person that might smoke and then develop cancer and then quit smoking.

59:53 They still have the cancer. They still have to pay the price for what they did. And so having said all of that, and considering the fact that you were giving three life sentences to write consecutively, my vote is to deny. Okay, thank you. Okay. Uh, you know I looked at this, mister Tyris in a lot of ways. You were sixteen years old when when this occurred. You own drugs, real bad. Uh. You know that does not make any excuses for what you did. It was, like you law, you said, it was a very horrific crime. But uh, I do feel that you've done all you can do and ain't going that that that your work is done there. But you have plenty of work left. Uh So my vote today is also gonna be too grant to the parole project. Okay, mister Myers, I want him very thoroughly drug treat treatment.

1:00:58 I want I want him to look at that closely and if he needs impatient treatment you get back with us. Okay, do that. Also, I want you to have drug screens two times per month for the first six months. Uh you fell any of those drug dreams, I can promise you you will be returned. And and that's all the conditions I'm gonna put on you. I'm gonna let you off to put the rest. I thank your family for showing up here today, and your representatives have meant a lot. Like your sister said, y'all need to doll grow together. Thank you, sir.

1:01:40 World's gonna be watching you. I can promise you so be careful. That's my lit. To say, mister Harris, It's difficult to make these kind of choices, Okay, and then I appreciate what you do. I understand. Thank you, ma'am. Now after hearing that, personally, my opinion hasn't changed. I'm gonna say it again. Three four victims convicted of at least three where's the justice for the victims here? And you heard him say, Hey, I was high on drugs. I was a drug addict when I committed these murders.

1:02:20 I mean, so fucking what that doesn't excuse it or in my opinion, carrying any weight as to why you should be released from prison for it. There are millions of people on this earth that are addicted to drugs that don't go around killing random, multiple people because of it. It's a bullshit excuse and it totally negates the victims in my opinion. Could he have changed during those forty six years in prison, sure, maybe, but that doesn't mean you should walk the streets. You have to serve the time for your crime. It's just bizarre. They you have it.

1:03:13 Check us out on Patreon for commercial, free, early releases and more. Patreon dot com slash Bloody and Goal of podcast and thank you so much for those members for their support. I couldn't do the show without them, as simple as that. And until next time for Bloody and Goal, a podcast one and forty two years in the making. The complete story of America's Bloody is present. Peace a wall Street line, shackle chain, Oh, who'so gird?

1:04:05 It's calling my name? There is no mercy and it's been a tentery Jesus as the huge string game Rangle three. I'm here, be. By here to die. Inside these walls, inside the wild. And when the walk. As I know, it's aboody angle.

1:04:50 Obody, angle Down and finding