ID: Mark Lankford suits up for 2nd trial, 23 years after 1st
From the Idaho Statesman:
N. Idaho jury selected for Lankford trial
Jurors have been selected for the new trial of a man previously convicted and sentenced to death in the slaying of a couple vacationing in northern Idaho in 1983. Second District Judge John Bradbury told the jurors on Monday that Mark H. Lankford was granted a new trial last year because of an error in jury instructions during his 1984 trial...
At least some of the jurors in Shoshone County did not recognize Lankford, who appeared in court in a suit and tie. "I'll be honest, I thought he was a lawyer," one juror told defense attorney Charles Kovis...
3 Comments:
Letter to "IDAHO STATESMAN"
These days, the case of Mark Henry Lankford is negotiated once again at the Idaho court. The readers of this newspaper might be astonished that they are reading a letter from Europe. It should be of interest to the Idaho public that this seemingly unimportant case is attentively being observed by many Europeans. I became personally interested in the case of Mark Henry Lankford about 10 years ago through a newspaper article that made me get into contact with him. It was his high quality art work that was mentioned in the article which gained my interest first. After I had got into touch with his works of art, I became acquainted with Mark Henry Lankford as a person and I learned about his tragic case – in my eyes a clear error of justice. My research during the following years had only one definite result: Mark Henry Lankford is not guilty of the allegations held against him. He is in no way the monster that some Idaho Newspapers make him.- the opposite is true: He is a sensitive and educated man whose good nature and (wrong) ware led to the tragic intangling into a criminal act which his brother Bryan is responsible for. Bryan has already admitted his deed. But still there is no justice. An error of justice is changing into a scandal of justice at the moment, because Lankford’s release is prevented by the prosecutor in an all too clear attempt to hush the injustice that has happened up to this day.
The local public papers use permanent prejudice and defamation to draw the picture of a monster – mind that not only is Mark Henry not guilty, but he has also suffered a 25 year sentence on death row up to this day. The way he is treated in the USA is not at all normal for a civilized nation. The people in Europe who care for democracy and liberty as much as many Americans are waiting for the silent majority of liberal-minded Americans to take over political responsibility after a long absence in politics. The election of the candidates for the next US president seem to indicate a new way of thinking to European observers. They give new hope that those people give a new direction to the development of the USA which is able to correct the picture of the “ugly America” in the world.
This is why I’m full of optimism. Investigative journalism is what we expect of the Idaho newspapers as well as of any other newspapers worldwide: thorough research and critical reporting instead of mindless defamation. It is quit simple today to study court files via internet even if the court might be far away. No one should think the people of Idaho are stupid: They can and they will inform themselves first-hand any time they want. A fair reporting of the case of Mark Henry Lankford and a fair treatment at court will prove to the world that the “ugly America” is finally disappearing.
Prof. Andreas Mayer- Brennenstuhl , Nürtingen , Germany
Sir I have to say that you must not have looked at all the information. If you had I think you would see that Mark is guilty.
The problem is in Germany, and in most of Europe, they forget the victim. After 25 years, this professor just sees a middle aged man who has spent his life concocting lies about his actions as a youth and presents himself as an innnocent victim. Why did Mark never testify if he was innocent?
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