Hello world! My name is Mike. I am goal oriented, spiritual, positive, outspoken and loyal. I have a great sense of humor and always look on the bright side of life. I love people, and get on with everyone I meet. I am also 100% INNOCENT of the crime I was convicted of in 1996.

 

This is my story…..

 

On October 3, 1995, a young man whom I had never met before, was taken from the world too soon.

 

That young man was Eric Jones, also known as ‘Nike’.

 

Nike was visiting friends in our home town of Roanoke, in Virginia, USA, when he attempted to stop an intruder entering the home. Nike was shot once during a struggle at the doorway.

 

The intruder fled without entering the home. The bullet that entered Nike’s body hit several major organs, leaving him with no chance of survival. He was pronounced dead several hours later.  He was just 21 years old.

 

I had no idea that the murder had happened. I didn’t even know Nike. However, subsequent to the murder, an eyewitness picked me out of a police photo line-up. This eyewitness had a serious and rare eye condition, rendering her legally blind, to the point she hasn’t been able to drive a vehicle to this day.

 

I didn’t meet this eyewitness until the day of my trial in March 1996, and still have no idea how or why she picked me out of that line-up. Perhaps she was coached to do it by the police, or perhaps it was because I was the only individual in that line up wearing a hoodie- exactly the same clothing that the murderer was described as wearing that night.

 

The eyewitness told police that she had then seen me at a convenience store the day after Nike’s murder where I had acted in a threatening manner towards her.

 

I was not at that convenience store. Nor was I at the scene of the Nike’s murder, because I did NOT kill Nike!

 

Aside from the word of this one eyewitness, there was no other evidence against me - no DNA, no fibers, no fingerprints, no hairs, no murder weapon.. NOTHING!…The police had six other suspects until the eyewitness picked me out of that photo line-up, at which time police suddenly dropped all other leads and focused solely on me.

 

On October 13, 1995, at the age of just 18 years old, I was arrested for Nike’s murder.

 

Almost twenty seven years later I am still behind bars.

 

The Death Row Soul Collective has given me an opportunity to tell my story and I have grabbed that opportunity with both hands. Why? I may remain behind bars, but all I have ever wanted, aside from justice and freedom, is for the world to know what happened to me.

 

I may not have lost my life in the same way that Nike did, but the Commonwealth of Virginia, the prosecution, the police and even my own attorney murdered ME in 1996. They didn’t have to shed any blood. They did it legally. My conviction for murder and my sentence to 40 years was a modern day lynching.

 

No one has won. Nike’s family lost a much loved member of their family, and my beautiful mom and sisters lost me. Meanwhile, the real killer has escaped punishment for their heinous crime.

 

I want the world to know the impact of eyewitness misidentifications and wrongful convictions, and the devastation they can cause to multiple families.

 

Please read my story, and please support my quest for justice for both me AND Nike, by signing the petition to FREE MIKE CRUMP.

 

Thank you and BIG LOVE from Mike.