No More Appeals for Jon Thomas Wallis

Laynie's face was bruised; it was always bruised. Laynie told her friends that Eddie beat her regularly. First she asked them to visit often to protect her; then she told them to stay away. One day the local news carried the story of a woman's suicide. It was Laynie. The funeral was packed, and those who worked with Eddie told how much he had loved his late wife and had tried to help her conquer her demons. The days and weeks after the funeral, Laynie's lies began to unravel little by little. Very little of her account of life before the Shoals proved to be true. Was she also lying about Eddie?

Tessa was one who had especially tried to help Laynie. She worked a second job to help her husband through law school and she often encountered Eddie there on weekends. He was kind and courteous. He told Tessa how much he missed Laynie. When Tessa had a flat, Eddie was the first to offer to fix it. Tessa began to believe Laynie's tales of Eddie's violent nature were just more lies.

Then Eddie came by Tessa's workplace after being evicted from his apartment. He felt the landlord had blamed him for Laynie's death. As he spoke, his voice grew louder and deeper. He used words that Tessa never heard outside a movie. Eddie's eyes grew large and he plainly said how he would love to find the landlord alone and kill him with his bare hands. 

Tessa realized Eddie was capable of being two different people...

*****

Aren't most of us really two different people? Just not to the extremes of Eddie...and perhaps Jon Thomas Wallis. Tommy, as his many friends call him, is now serving a life sentence in prison. We've received word that he's exhausted all his appeals. His only recourse now is parole. How long he must serve to be considered is nebulous, but certainly at least 10 years without an attorney to lobby for him. Probably it will be much longer before the board sets a date.

Here's two links of interest:

Wallis v. State of Alabama

Give Tommy Freedom

Notice the February 2012 FB page entry. Tommy has never had any other felony? My, my... What was that three years for trafficking? We don't think it was a misdemeanor. 

Shoalanda