Rodney Lincoln is currently serving two life sentences for the murder of JoAnn Tate and the assault of Tate’s two young daughters in April of 1982 in St. Louis, Missouri. Evidence shows that Rodney was wrongfully convicted based on a hair found at the crime scene that was wrongly attributed to him and a questionable line-up conducted by police. The victim who was shown the faulty line-up has now recanted her ID that ultimately put Rodney in prison. There isn’t one shred of evidence linking Rodney to the crime. He is clearly an innocent man.
There is currently a clemency request pending in Missouri Governor Jay Nixon’s office for Rodney Lincoln. The request was filed by Melissa Neal DeBoer. DeBoer, now forty-two, was the seven-year-old victim who testified against Rodney at trial. DeBoer has now fully recanted her testimony which worked to convict Rodney, and she is now lobbying for his release. You can read her very moving letter in support of Rodney here.
Governor Nixon is expected to make a decision regarding the clemency request by January 8, 2017. Rodney’s supporters are asking for a strong showing of support in the final week leading up to Nixon’s decision. Rodney needs as many people as possible to call, fax, email, tweet, and write to Governor Nixon’s office to express their support for the clemency request. Support for Rodney Lincoln can be seen worldwide. He has this widespread support because he is an innocent man. If all of Rodney’s supporters speak out this week, we can all make an impact.
Freeing the wrongfully convicted is no easy task. The Midwest Innocence Project has been fighting to free Rodney Lincoln for over eleven years. In a recent press release, Rodney’s attorney said, “Mr. Lincoln’s case highlights the mountains we have to move to correct an injustice. As members of a society that allow this to happen, it’s our obligation to do everything we can to correct it.”
Ryan Ferguson, who spent nearly a decade in prison in Missouri as an innocent man, said after his release in 2013 that, “It takes an army” to free the wrongfully convicted. Ryan was right. It does take an army. And Rodney has just that. An army of supporters have been calling for Rodney’s release for a long time, and his supporters will remain vigilant for as long as it takes. If you support Rodney Lincoln, who is undeniably an innocent man, please spend the next seven days bombarding Governor Nixon’s office through social media, telephone, fax, and postal mail. When reaching out to Governor Nixon, please remember to be respectful. Strong factual statements will have a far greater influence than inappropriate language.
According to Rodney’s daughter, Kay Lincoln, all forms of contact are welcome and helpful, but hard copy letters are the best and most persuasive. If you prefer email, feel free to email your letter to freerodneylincoln@gmail.com. Kay will format, print, and mail the letters for you. If you are writing a hard copy letter, you need to act fast. Please get your letters in the mail in the next day or two if possible.
Let’s do this! Get those letters in the mail! Make Rodney Lincoln a trending topic on Twitter! Keep Governor Nixon’s fax machine running nonstop! Call Governor Nixon’s office! All calls are documented and are included in the clemency request file . Rodney has been in prison for far too long. It’s time for him to come home!
Governor Nixon’s contact information:
Mail: MO Governor Jay Nixon
PO Box 720
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Telephone: 573-751-3222
Fax: 573-751-1495
Twitter: @GovJayNixon
Email: Website (with info submission form): https://governor.mo.gov/get-involved/contact-the-governors-office
Please visit these resources to learn more about Rodney Lincoln’s case:
Rodney Lincoln official website: http://www.freerodneylincoln.com/
Rodney Lincoln official Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FreeRodneyLincoln/
Melissa Neal DeBoer’s request for clemency for Rodney Lincoln: http://themip.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/M.D.-Letter-Requesting-Clemency-for-Rodney-Lincoln-redacted.pdf
Rodney Lincoln is incredibly grateful for the support he receives. Thank you to all who are actively advocating for this release. Please share the information in this article with your friends and family. Sharing on Facebook only takes a minute. Just visit Rodney Lincoln’s group page and share the group’s posts with your Facebook friends.