Let the Evidence Speak!
- tam
- May 27
- 2 min read
Jamie Snow's statement to supporters about the appeal for DNA testing to the Illinois Supreme Court.
Justice delayed is not justice denied—it is justice denied again and again.
Jamie Snow is an innocent man who has spent more than two decades behind bars for a crime he did not commit. It is long past time for justice to catch up with the truth.
Jamie was convicted in 2001 for a 1991 gas station murder in Bloomington, Illinois. No physical evidence ever tied him to the crime. His conviction relied entirely on delayed, incentivized, and often recanted witness statements—some made nearly a decade after the murder. Meanwhile, abundant physical evidence from the scene—fingerprints, blood, bullets, and the victim’s clothing—was never tested with modern forensic methods.
James’s legal team at The Exoneration Project is asking the Illinois Supreme Court to allow this evidence to be tested using current DNA and fingerprint technologies at no cost to the state. Experts, including those who typically testify for law enforcement, confirmed that such testing is routine, reliable, and would possibly identify the true perpetrator. Yet, since 2010, lower courts have denied this request, relying on outdated legal standards instead of modern science and spending the last 15 years defending their position at a significant cost to taxpayers.
Denying this testing is not just a legal misstep—it’s a moral failure. If this testing could help prove Jamie’s innocence—or even raise doubt—it must be done. Justice should not depend on outdated interpretations or technicalities.
Jamie is not alone. His conviction was secured by former McLean County State’s Attorney Charles Reynard, whose legacy includes a disturbing pattern of prosecutorial misconduct:
Alan Beaman, Eric Drew, and Donny Whalen—all convicted under Reynard’s leadership, and all represented by innocence organizations—have had their convictions overturned due to state misconduct.
Jamie Snow and Barton McNeil remain wrongfully imprisoned, both represented by The Exoneration Project.
Each of these cases involve serious questions of suppressed evidence, flawed testimony, and prosecutorial overreach.
Collectively, they have spent nearly100 years in prison for crimes they did not commit.
This is not a coincidence. It is a pattern—a systemic failure that demands both accountability and action.
It is unconscionable that in 2025, a man can be denied access to forensic testing that could prove his innocence. We cannot allow outdated court decisions or the preservation of flawed convictions to outweigh the pursuit of truth.
We call on the Illinois Supreme Court to act swiftly, allow forensic testing, and give Jamie Snow a fair path to justice. Illinois cannot continue to defend these broken convictions while denying access to the truth.
Read the Petition for Leave to Appeal filing:
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