Justice for Jason

On May 30, 1991, Jason received a ticket for driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Little did he know that this seemingly minor infraction would set off a chain of events that would forever alter his life.

Jason, a 19-year-old junior at Mason City High School, led a challenging existence. He attended special education classes and worked a job provided by the program. His daily routine was tightly controlled by his mother, a pathological narcissist who made life unbearable for him. She labeled him “retarded” and worse, denying him the nurturing home environment he deserved.

But it was on that ill-fated day that everything changed. Jason left work a few minutes later than usual and hurriedly drove to pick up his younger brother from school. Officer Ted Bryant, busy ticketing students violating traffic rules, immediately pulled Jason over on the one-way street. By 3:30 PM, Jason found himself facing a stern cop and a ticket timestamped at 3:35.

Meanwhile, Esther, a 7-year-old girl, reported being abducted and sexually assaulted by a man in a brown truck. Her elementary school had let out at 3:00 PM, and she was just four houses away from home when the incident occurred - at 3:30. Esther had seen the man watching her earlier that week, and her description of the man's truck matched Jason’s vehicle. They were both brown.

Despite many crucial discrepancies—the police zeroed in on Jason. The ticket, which should have served as an alibi, became a damning piece of evidence. They obtained an arrest warrant after driving Esther and her mother past Jason’s house, where they claim she identified his truck.

Later that night, as Jason slept, the police stormed his home. He was arrested, and his life took a tragic turn. Jason a has never been free since.

The public defender assigned to him failed him at every turn. In a highly questionable move to wave a jury trial for bench trial - Jason ended up having his fate decided by a judge who later admits that he should have recused himself. His attorney failed to highlight the obvious proof of his innocence, the many discrepancies or offer any defense whatsoever. And somehow, through the glaring fact that Jason was with a police officer at the exact time the alleged crime took place - he was convicted of Kidnapping in the first degree and Attempted murder, sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Because he had a brown truck.

An appellate lawyer was hired after his conviction, who spent his time pursuing the judge in trying to set a precedent, also failed to bring Jason the justice he deserved.

And so, over 30 years later - Jason is still in prison, forgotten by the world.

Help us finally remember him - and find the truth he deserves.

Justice for Jason