Chapter 1
Junior Peterson had been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for committing murder. He had been confined to the Varner Supermax Unit in the Delta region near Grady, Arkansas. Despite being known for its fertile soil and crops such as cotton, rice, and soybeans, Junior had always found the Delta to be a beautiful place to live, especially during the spring and summer. He enjoyed the unobstructed views of the flat landscape and the stars that adorned the sky on clear nights. Junior had many cherished memories of the Delta, such as driving along Highway 65 with the windows down and music blaring on hot summer nights. Playing basketball with his cousins and friends in Montross, Arkansas was another fond memory that he held dear. However, the thought of the Dermott crawfish festival brought the biggest smile to his face. In the past, Junior and his family would spend the entire day indulging in the festivities, enjoying the food, participating in fun activities, and watching live entertainment. The Crawfish Festival was something that Junior eagerly anticipated every year. Unfortunately, Junior had nothing to look forward to but the monotonous walls that surrounded him in his prison cell. Despite his love for the Delta, he was trapped in his cell, fixated on the confines of his prison. The memories of his past were slowly fading away, and he was left with nothing but the bleak reality of his present situation.
Prison life was characterized by the slow passage of time, as minutes seemed to stretch into hours, and hours dragged on like never-ending days. Every aspect of daily life was tightly controlled, from the moment of waking up to the limited time allowed for meals and recreation on the yard. Junior, confined to a solitary cell for 23 hours a day, had only one precious hour for recreation. Surprisingly, even though Junior had no record of violations, he was always accompanied by a minimum of three correctional officers whenever he was transported within the prison. The supermax unit, known as a prison within a prison, housed the most dangerous and hardened criminals. On Sundays, the prison chapel held services, and the Chaplain would visit the supermax unit to conduct them. Although Junior rarely attended these services, he found solace in reading the Bible. When Junior first arrived in prison, he was considered relatively young, but now, at 55 years old, he is seen as one of the older inmates. Over time, he had formed friendships with some of the inmates on his cellblock, most of whom were also serving life sentences. As Junior observed the constant flow of inmates being released and then returning, he couldn’t help but long for the chance to be free and live the remainder of his life in peace. However, on his cellblock, inmates only left for two reasons: transfers to other prisons or death. It was a harsh reality, but that was the grim reality of life without parole.
Prison posed dangers for both the predator and the prey, and Junior had experienced his fair share of anger during his time there. However, he had now found a sense of calm and self-preservation. Trusting no one, not even his relatives who were also incarcerated at Varner, Junior had learned to take care of himself. Reading became his solace, allowing him to escape to different worlds within the confines of his cell. In 2015, his mother’s passing sent him spiraling into a deep depression. Junior able to attend his mother's funeral, thanks to the help of some off-duty correctional officers who were paid by his brother and other family members.The funeral took place at New Hope Baptist Church in Lake Village, Arkansas, and the loss of his mother made serving his sentence even more challenging. Before her death, she would visit him once a month, providing him with updates on family and community matters. These visits were cherished by Junior, as they reminded him of his mother’s unwavering love for him.
The act of forgiveness can be a difficult journey, especially when it comes to forgiving oneself. Junior struggled with this concept, feeling as though his fate was sealed and nothing could change it. However, his mother’s unwavering faith in God and her encouragement to stay busy helped him cope with his thoughts and memories. Despite his family’s infrequent visits, Junior found solace in his mother’s love and positivity towards everyone, even the prison staff. Junior admired his mother’s unwavering faith in God and her ability to treat everyone with kindness and love. Despite her failing health, she never missed a visit to see him in prison. However, since her absence, Junior’s siblings have been less present in his life, leaving him feeling uncertain about their level of care and concern for him. With his father in a nursing home and his sister living in another town, Junior sometimes feels forgotten and wonders if he too will suffer from memory loss in old age. Junior had always wished for a different life, one where he could have found love, gotten married, and started a family. Unfortunately, his past relationship with Wendy had ended badly, leaving him with a 33-year-old son whom he had never met. He regretted not taking things slower with Wendy, as they could have built a life together. Despite this, Junior’s sister informed him that Wendy had remarried and had two other children and had made sure that their son Michael spent time with his extended family.
Despite this, she denied Michael the opportunity to visit his father in prison or receive phone calls from him. However, Michael himself worked as a correctional officer at the Dermott unit. Just like everyone else, he believed his father was guilty of murder. Michael was aware of the tactics used by prisoners, who often claimed innocence and tried to manipulate correctional officers. He had seen many officers lose their jobs because they allowed prisoners to influence them. Michael had no desire to set up a relationship with his father, as he feared being let down if his father tried to manipulate him. After all, he didn’t know his father; they simply shared a resemblance. One of Junior’s biggest regrets was that his son grew up without him. Junior’s mother would say, “lord have mercy, that boy looks just like you. When I see him, it is just like I am raising you again. Her words about his son were sweet to hear but bitter to his belly. He could only enjoy hearing about his son through a third party. Time can be a friend or an enemy slowly torturing you to death. Time is a companion that reminds you of your triumphs and failures. It is no way of escaping time or reducing its effects. Junior knew it was nothing that he could do to reverse his past mistakes, but he was not a murderer.
As he aged and time gradually caught up with him, he became a mere shadow of his former self. Junior adamantly declared, “I am an innocent man”, but I found myself in a state of confusion, and compelled to protect my family at all costs. This secret, rooted in the events of March 23, 1990, has relentlessly haunted him for over three decades. He repeatedly reassured himself, “I am undertaking this burden to shield my family. I am sacrificing everything to ensure that my brother and sister can lead prosperous lives.” Junior felt trapped, left with no alternative but to confess to a crime he did not commit. The concept of leverage held a certain allure, for it allowed the manipulator to bend the will of their victim. Leverage, in essence, grants the power to manipulate another person’s actions to get a desired outcome. It exerts immense pressure on individuals, compelling them to follow the desires and demands of others.
The memory of John Henry Winfield’s voice still haunted him. It was a whisper, but it was laced with the smell of whisky and a threat that paralyzed him with fear. John Henry had warned him that he would confess to killing his wife, and if you didn’t comply, he would kill his entire family. The second voice, which agreed with John Henry, only added to his terror. He couldn’t function after that night, and even now, the thought of it caused him anxiety. He sensed his heart racing and beads of sweat began to gather on his forehead. Soon after, a familiar chest pain emerged, a sensation that haunted him every time he recalled the events of that fateful night. Even after three decades, it felt as if the memories were fresh as if the incident had occurred just the night before. He despised John Henry for what he had done and hoped that he was suffering somewhere, paying for his crimes. However, he found Joe Buck, John Henry’s worker, to be even more vile. Joe Buck had wanted to kill him on sight, but John Henry had stopped him. “Wait a minute, don’t kill him,” John Henry had said.
The memory of that night had stayed with him for years, and he couldn’t shake the feeling of fear and helplessness that it had produced. He knew that he had to find a way to move on, but it was easier said than done. He couldn’t forget the threat that John Henry had made against his family, and he couldn’t forgive Joe Buck for wanting to kill him. All he could do was hope that justice would be served and that John Henry and Joe Buck would pay for their crimes. John Henry said “ I want him to suffer a slow and agonizing death. Once he confesses to the murder of my wife, the judge will ensure that he is imprisoned indefinitely, with no possibility of release. This prospect seemed to have a calming effect on Joe Buck, as he took a step back and spat on the ground. He felt an overwhelming urge to kill Junior right then and there, but his boss instructed him to hold back. Initially, he was puzzled by John Henry’s decision to spare Junior’s life, but eventually, the reasoning behind it became clear to him. His gaze shifted towards John Henry, his boss, with a newfound admiration. “It appears that you have devised a plan worth pursuing, and I like it.
At times, Junior pondered the alternate path he could have taken on that fateful night. Would my family have been spared from harm? Could John Henry have followed through on his menacing threats to kill my loved ones? Regret washed over Junior as he realized that he should have stood up against the tyranny of John Henry and Joe Buck. Instead, he allowed fear to consume him, pleading for his own life like a coward. In hindsight, he wished he had chosen a different course of action, even if it meant sacrificing himself to protect his family.
Surrendering one’s life or jeopardizing the safety of one’s family is an arduous decision to make. It is crucial to acknowledge that our choices carry significant consequences. Yearning for a life akin to the ones portrayed in movies, he longed for a scenario where an attorney would diligently investigate his case, ultimately finding a way to secure his release from prison. Regrettably, the harsh reality of existence dictated that he would meet his demise behind bars. Time seemed to crawl for him, and he eagerly awaited the embrace of death, as it appeared to be the only escape from the overwhelming despair that engulfed him. His hope, once vibrant, was now submerged in a sea of hopelessness.
To keep his sanity, Junior developed a daily ritual of gazing at his reflection in the mirror each morning, affirming his innocence. With unwavering conviction, he repeated the words, “I am an innocent man. I am not a murderer.” The criminal justice system had branded him as a criminal, and despite the support of his loved ones back home, he knew that the truth would eventually prevail. Someday, the world would come to know that he was unjustly accused, and justice would be served. Justice was a hard pill to swallow for him, as he experienced its harsh realities every single day. Despite this, he couldn’t help but harbor a wishful thought that John Henry was enduring some form of suffering in his corner of the world.
