On December 16^th 1993 Albert Ray England and myself (Al driving) found ourselves stuck in mud. We got out and walked. A nice man named *JR picked us up. He’d been drinking heavily… beer. I too, had a couple of beers. Al did not. JR said he’d help get my car out of the mud after he visited his friend at McDonald’s. We drove to McDonald’s, JR drinking more beer. JR talked to his friend and we all left. On the ride back to my vehicle, JR got “friendly” with me. I was straddled in the middle. My legs between the stick shift and JR would rub them. I had on shorts and a sweatshirt. JR rubbed my thighs and crotch and it scared me. I told him to stop before he got “his” truck stuck also. He laughed and continued to rub my legs. I nudged Al’s arm and he nudged back. We got to my car and JR got out and “relieved” himself of the beer in front of the truck, headlights on and all. This angered Al and I told him about the rubbing. He was even madder. When JR came to get into his truck Al shot him in the shoulder. JR ran behind the truck. Al jumped out and I heard “BOOM-BOOM-BOOM”. I was totally terrified after the first boom which was in my ear! I screamed and cried and Al yelled “Shut the hell up!” I couldn’t stop. I have not been that scared since I was 18 and got gang raped in St Paul Minn. in the early 80’s. Al yelled for me to get out, I froze. He yelled again. I got out of the truck and saw JR on the ground, blood coming out of his belly. I screamed and cried and was hysterical. I was still yelling and screaming. Al was waving his gun and yelling “Shut up!” I went to kneel down and take JR’s hand. I promised him, “I will not let you die”. I honestly meant this. I was so scared and was not sure what Al would do. I told Al to take the truck to town and call an ambulance before he dies, bleeds to death. Al refused. I was still crying and begging him, “Please Al, go to town or take us to the hospital.” Al did not budge. He said, “He’ll tell on me, I don’t want to go back to jail.” You see, 3 weeks earlier Al was in McKinney, Plano and Denton County Jails for robberies. Al was staying with me and my 2 children and my roommate Jen. But after the jails and all, I told him he would have to leave like after Christmas. He was mad. I honestly think he had a gun that night and brought me to the woods to rape and kill me. Al had a crush on me and I kept telling him, “You’re just a kid.” This angered him. He told me he was in love with me. I laughed and he got real mad. He and Jen fought all the time. I had to ask him to leave. He shot JR … would he shoot me too?

I was still crying and hyperventilating and begging him to go for help. “Go for help Albert Please.” I kept saying to him. He finally agreed. “Oh thank God! “ I thought to myself. I let go of JR’s hand and got up and brushed the mud off of my bare knees. I told JR, “You’ll be ok now.” I went to JR’s vehicle to look for a towel or something to stop the bleeding. I got to the door and heard” BOOM!” I looked behind me and there was Albert holding the gun down toward JR’s head. He killed him! Oh my God! I yelled and screamed and ran down the mud road. I fell… I was terrified and crying hysterically and then Al caught me and flung me to the ground. He pushed the gun into my face and made me promise him to “Not ever tell anyone… no one!” I promised. Then he said “I’ll take you down with me. You’ll go to prison too Tina.” I did promise him I’d never tell. I didn’t mean to keep that promise though. He brought me back to the truck and said, “Get in.” I did. I cried and prayed and wondered if I would ever see my two children again. When Al got in He had JR’s wallet. He tried to give me money. I refused. I was so mad at him, scared and in shock. He drove off and soon ran a red light and a cop pulled him over. He said, “Looks like I gotta waste this pig.” I yelled, “No! Albert NO!” and for some odd reason he put the gun away. He didn’t kill the policeman. Thank God. The officer asks him for his ID etc. then gives Al a ticket and drives off.

About 3 days later, I just knew I had to tell someone. I did. The police came to my trailer house. Al was inside and I talked to a policeman. I told him all I witnessed. Al was arrested and we both were brought into a police station, somewhere. I was in shock. It was over, or so I thought. The police man said to me at the station, “Al wants to speak to you.” I didn’t want to see his evil face ever again. A policeman told me, “You don’t have to talk to him. You’ll never see him again except at his trial. You’re our only witness, you will testify for the State right?” Yes I said. Then I wrote out my statement. This handwritten statement became lost -- it was in my trial transcripts.

A different officer named Scott Haney brought me to Denton, TX. It was like 6pm? We talked until 3am! He wrote everything down that I said. He left and came back with a typed up statement. I began to read page 1. It was incorrect. Detective Haney left and “fixes” it. I reread it and signed it. I began to read page 2 and Officer Haney jumped off of his seat and pulled out his cars keys and said, “You can just sign it and we’ll go get your baby.” (I had put my older son on a plane to get him safe and out of Texas) My baby daughter was at a friend’s house. This was good news as I was anxious to see my baby and so stupid, trusting me didn’t read the other 2-3 pages. I just signed it. He smirked and said, “Come on, let’s go get your daughter.”

We left, and he told me to go into this little closet of a room. I had been up for 23 hours, was very sleepy, hungry, scared, and completely exhausted. He told me, “Look me in the eye and tell me you’ve had nothing to do with the crime.” I looked him in the eye and told him I had nothing to do with it. I blinked and yawned from being so very tired. He told me to wait there. Then Detective John Guest comes in and says, “You are under arrest for capital murder, I will make sure you get the death penalty!” I do not remember much after that. I was in complete shock! I was tricked and I didn’t know it yet.

At a pre-trial in January, 1994, my Court appointed lawyer showed me a statement with my Xerox signature and it said that I participated with Albert in the killing. What!? I didn’t sign anything like that… or did I? Then I remembered I didn’t read the whole statement. I was tricked by the Denton Police, Detective S. Haney and J. Guest. When Guest was asked by my Court appointed attorney where the “original” hand written statement I made at the police station was…He said, “Well, it got lost.” How convenient of them to lose it!! Illegal. Detective Guest also searched and seized my 2 cars, home and cell, illegally according to my attorney which she didn’t do anything about. My photo was taken over and over by Detective Guest. He also took my pawn tickets and got my jewelry out of pawn and I’ve yet to get my gems back. He kept telling me over and over, “I will make sure you get the death penalty.” I am not even the trigger person. Albert chose to ends JR’s life. I begged him to go for help. Al chose, not me. Albert Ray England chose to kill JR instead of taking us to the hospital. Now, Denton newspaper wrote, “We went to McDonald’s with JR and JR fed us before we killed him.” Lies, they said Al and I were lovers. More lies! I told my attorney I would sue them. She told me she would look into it. Days later she said, “The newspaper printed how very sorry they were for telling lies about me and recanted them.” I’ve yet to see this in the newspaper. My court appointed lawyer lied to me, she also breached our contract… she told my mother things that she and I talked about. Illegal isn’t it? Client/Attorney stuff is confidential. She talked to my mom without me knowing it. She never fought the issue about the statement, lost statement, Xerox copy of my signature etc. etc. I was released on bond in 1994. Al never was.

Christmas 1993, Al’s family visited me and not him. They felt so bad for what Al had put me through. In 1995 Al pleaded not guilty, went to trial and was found guilty. He was sentenced for 99 years. In 1996, my attorney coerced, cowed, and threatened me with these choices; 1. Plead guilty to Capital Murder and get 8 years probation. 2. plead not guilty and go to trial with a 98% conviction rate in Denton County. I was warned that I would be found guilty and get 99 years just as Albert Ray did! I didn’t have much of a choice now did I? She also told me the judge would ask me 3 questions and that I must answer no to all 3. “Did anyone threaten you into this plea bargain? Oh, of course I was threatened, but I had to say “no” My attorney made me say no three times. Who, in their right mind would plead guilty to capital murder when they didn’t kill anyone? A person coerced, or threatened, that’s who. Also, my Attorney could have asked for a lot lesser charge for this plea bargain and did not.

In 1995 I was hospitalized twice for two different suicide attempts and severe depression. I was plagued by horrible nightmares and suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (I still have nightmares 14 years later). I wrote Al in 1999/2000 and no, he does not think about JR at all and he still claims “JR deserved to die.” He’s a cold blooded killer and deserves his 99 years. But do I deserve this prison term being a witness only?

In 1996, I took a plea agreement, my lawyer advised me of and in 1998 I was arrested for DWI. The judge gave me a 35 year sentence. I need to do 17 1/2 flat before I see parole - 2015

I am writing this letter/story today to bring it into the media. What’s happened to me in America has happened to many people like me. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. My Court appointed Attorney didn’t try very hard to help me. She now works again for the District Attorney’s Office and will not help me file a motion for a sentence reduction. Why? I’ve only guesses. I’ll die here in this Texas prison. I nearly did  in 2003 from a stroke with no medical treatment for 2 days! They felt I had been paralyzed in my mind only and called me a fake. I really did have a stroke. I am 46 years old now and am not on any Psychiatric medications. I need help legally and am hoping someone reading this will reach out to help me… write me, visit me and come and help me.

I want to expose the ugly truth of what all illegal actions Texas has done against me. I need a lawyer to help me right this wrong. I need prayers… Will you pray for me? Will you offer free legal services to me? I’ve no one in Texas and will surely die here without legal - aide. Please help me. I have not seen my children but only 1 time in 10 years. I am sober, 10 years now and I am not a trouble maker here. I worry about my family and yes, I pray for JR’s family. It wasn’t me who shot and killed JR., It was Albert.

I am sorry for the pain Albert put the Reeves family through. He chose to not get help that fateful night. He chose to take JR’s life. Not I. I am begging someone to reach out to me and help me to find justice out of all this injustice.

Please write me at:

Tina Iozzo #847332

1401 State School Road

Gatesville, TX 76599

Thank you, may God bless you all.

Sincerely,

Tina