DNA evidence has freed a Panola,
Georgia man today,
after 12 years
in Federal Prison.
James Marshall was sentenced to life
without parole in 1996
for the mauling death of
a state park hiker, Janet Kelly.
I took one look at him and I knew he was
the man that mauled and ate my daughter.
Now that he's locked up,
I pray to God that people can camp
in that bear preserve
without fearing for their safety.
Throughout his time in prison
Mr. Marshall maintained his innocence
claiming his jaws were not
powerful enough to have inflicted
the six inch deep bites
covering Ms. Kelly's body,
and that he did not eat Ms. Kelly's
entire left leg and lower torso, as charged.
Panola police expressed shock at the news,
as the evidence
against Mr. Marshall had been
overwhelmingly strong.
Marshall worked as a guide
at the Panola State Park Visitor's Center,
And was definitively placed
within a mile of the crime scene
the day after the murder. Even though
employees had been warned against
entering the park due to a
rash of bear attacks at the time.
The jury took just 2
to reach a verdict
which most attributed to the
perverse nature of the murder's details,
which included a half eaten fish
found at the crime scene,
leading Mr. Marshall to be
known as "The Salmon Killer".
The killer also scattered huge piles
of feces around the campsite.
They say after he killed Janet,
he spent five minutes
rubbing his hairy back up
against a tree to scratch it.
This man is sick.
The mauling was so vicious that
Janet's funeral was closed casket.
Buried with her was the last photograph
she took before she died.
A self portrait of her
and two bear cubs.
However, the DNA evidence has not exonerated
Mr. Marshall of a larceny charge
for tearing off the trunk of Ms. Kelly's car
in order to get to the food inside.
Mr. Marshall faces a $5,
for that crime.
The Panola Police Department today apologized
for the inconvenience they caused him,
and say they plan to reopen the case and
"find the black man who did this".
Moving on, the Bob Dole foundation
is awarding scholarships to students
who show potential to know
who Bob Dole is.
Still Ahead This Hour:
BREAST MILK RECALL AFFECTS
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YAKIMA, WA
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