FREE GREG TAYLOR

Radio Interview

2010-03-19T08:26:00.000-04:00

Not sure if anyone is still checking in on this page since I haven't posted in so long. I think most peopple have switched over to Greg's facebook page. Anyway, Greg will be doing a live interview today on 100.7 FM. Check it out if you can.

GREG TAYLOR FREE!!

2010-02-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

Through a unanimous vote by a three judge panel, Greg Taylor has been released after 17 years in prison. WOW! It sure felt good to write that. Greg is doing some much needed catch up time with his family right now. I'm back at my job today so not much time to update write now. I'll check in later tonight and let yall know how he's doing. History has been made and we are so happy! Thank you everyone for your prayers and support.

02/14/10

2010-02-14T21:23:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentines Day everyone. Well here we are going into day five. The DA will start calling his witnesses tomorrow. Greg's defense attorneys have been working very hard and it shows. A lot of people have asked if we are going to the courthouse on Tuesday morning. I believe that the DA has passed on his chance to do the right thing and join us in our plea to free Greg. On Tuesday the judges will be reviewing the evidence and paperwork in the case. We must trust that they will see that Greg is innocent and decide in his favor on Wednesday. I do not see the need at this point to go down to the courthouse. I plan on going back to work for a full day on Tuesday. Then hopefully I can get an appointment to visit Greg on Tuesday evening. The part of the jail he is in has no access to phones so he has not been able to call. When we get together at the hearing on Monday maybe we can come up with a little get together somewhere on Tuesday. If you haven't checked it out yet click on our video link up to the right of this page.

Day 3 of Hearing

2010-02-11T22:25:00.000-05:00

We are in the third day of the hearing now. It's so frustrating not knowing how things are going to turn out. It's almost like you wish there was a scoreboard. So you can tell if you are ahead or behind. Having the truth on our side should be the final difference though. We are very thankful for the expert witnesses that have taken the stand. They are finally revealing what really happened and how an innocent man has been in prison for almost 17 years now. The other witnesses that have taken the stand have really helped out a lot also. The defense does not have the access to the lucrative deal making with peoples freedom. We have to depend on people to tell the truth about what they know that may correct this injustice. Most would think that a time when people would show compassion and speak up for what is right is long gone. But it is still here.
Thank you everyone for your continued prayers and support. Please pray that the truth will continue to be shown. That Greg's innocence will be proved and that he'll get out soon.

Big day is here

2010-02-08T20:29:00.000-05:00

Well tomorrow is the big day. Greg will be brought up to Raleigh for the three judge panel . The hearing is set to start at 10AM. No one can get into the building for the hearing until 9AM. I have tried to get everyone that requested to be on it on the list to attend. We had a limited number of seats in the actual hearing room that was reserved for family. I have put others on a list for the auditorium where the hearing will be streamed in. During breaks I we will try to meet back in the auditorium. If you can make it out please come and show support for Greg. In case you didn't catch it there was an article in the N&O about Greg on Sunday. HEre is the link:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/counties/wake_county/story/325516.html?storylink=misearch
Please keep Greg in your prayers that this will be the final step to justice being done and he will be a free man soon.Thank you all for your support.

Note from Dad

2010-02-02T18:45:00.002-05:00

Well, the turnout was awesome, despite the absence of some of our regulars (Everett was ill). Our family thanks the Campbell Law delegation, and Professor Baker for their continued support. We had a lot of people stop and inquire, and hopefully we'll have a lot of interest in the proceedings next week via the web feed from WRAL-TV. For any who wish to attend, there will be plenty of room available in the auditorium at the Campbell Law School, but you must get your name on a list to be admitted. Contact Eddy and he will see that your name is included. It's important that we continue to show support for Greg during the hearing.

Thanks to all for your continuing prayers and support.

Ed (Greg's Dad)

Last Courthouse Gathering

2010-01-31T23:31:00.000-05:00

This Tuesday will be our last gathering in front of the courthouse before the hearing on February 9th. If you've been wanting to come out but haven't made it yet , now is the time. Come on and join us in our final effort to show support for Greg's innocence. Dress warmly, it may be a little chilly. See you there.

01/27/10

2010-01-27T20:52:00.000-05:00

Okay Kristen - I got the year right this time.
We've had some questions about the hearing schedule and accessability.
The start date for the hearing is Tuesday, Feb 9th. The schedule mentioned at the pretrial hearing was that it was expected to last three days and possibly going into Friday. I'm not sure if this schedule has changed or not.
The hearing itself is described as a public hearing but it is in a private building which is Campbell Law School in Raleigh. The seats in the hearing room are limited and Greg's family has been asked to provide a list of names to reserve seats in the actual hearing room. There is another auditorium that we believe will be hooked up with a live stream. If there is anyone that would like to be in the auditorium, let me know and I can ask that your name be put on a list to get into the law school to go to the auditorium. As was the case last time, WRAL will be having a live stream that can be viewed on their website. If anybody has any questions please let me know.

01/25/09

2010-01-25T12:46:00.000-05:00

Just two more Tuesdays left before the hearing! If you haven't joined us out in front of the courthouse before now is the time. We want to see a bigger turnout these next couple of weeks. Let's show everyone that we believe Greg is innocent and we want the whole world to know. Bring your friends and your friends' friends. Shoot me an email and I'll try to have a shirt for you. Once you've been there and done it you get the shirt. Hopefully these shirt's will be going out of style soon.

01/12/09

2010-01-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

Come on down to the courthouse and join us for our Tuesday morning gathering. I checked the forecast and we are looking at a heat wave reaching 28 degrees. Should feel a lot better than last weeks 19. 28 is barely even freezing. Greg wanted me to let everyone know that he may have trouble finding time to respond to letters. He is focusing on going over all the papers relating to his case. I'm sure he wants to review everything he can before the hearing. There are a lot of people working very hard on his case and we are praying that justice will be done and Greg will be set free.

Tuesday 01/05/09 . Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T19:38:00.001-05:00

We're getting closer and closer to Feb 9th! Five Tuedays downtown left - then the hearing will be on a Tuesday. Tomorrow's suppose to be plenty cold so bundle up as much as possible. I'm really praying that great things happen in 2009. That Greg will be a free man and soon. As the date keeps getting nearer it is more important that we come out and show our support for Greg. He has been held wrongfully for this crime he did not committ for way too long. Please come out and join us if you can.

Tuesday 12/28/09

2009-12-28T13:20:00.000-05:00

Come on out Tuesday morning and join us. According to the forecast we can expect temperature around 26 degrees. So dress warmly and we'll have some coffee.

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T21:53:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to Everyone. Our family has just finished a wonderful dinner tonight. It's times like this that you really love to have family around. That's why I know it must be hard on Greg this time of year. I talked with him today and he seemed to be in good spirits and I think I know why. This Christmas he has received something that he hasn't had very much of in the previous years. He has been given hope. Hope that soon he will be a free man again. No matter how bad a situation is, as long as we have hope that things will get better the bad times are easier to endure. Years ago on the first Christmas day, we were given hope through the birth of Christ. Today we still have hope through Christ. Hope in this life and afterward. Merry Christmas everyone.

BBRRRRRRR!!

2009-12-22T18:30:00.000-05:00

It was chilly out at the courthouse this morning. Thank you Mrs. Allison for the foot warmers! Everette also brought in the hot coffee and warm Krispy Kremes. We made it throught the two hours just fine. We had ten people which was still a good showing.
I talked with Greg tonight. He wishes everyone a Merry Christmas! If you didn't get a card from him it's because he only had a limited supply. He said he's looking forward to a good year in 2010.

12/22/09 at the Courthouse

2009-12-21T18:24:00.000-05:00

We will be down at the courthouse again in the morning. It's going to be cold in the morning but we must continue to protest Greg's wrongful imprisonment. Hopefully this will be the last Christmas Greg will spend in prison. Each Christmas, birthday, and other holiday is another marker for us of the amount of time Greg has been away. Come on down and join us in the morning if you can. Dress warm and we'll have coffee. Hope to see you there.

12/08/09 Article

2009-12-08T22:05:00.000-05:00

I'm not posting as much as I was before because it seems we are in a holding pattern until Feb 9th. Kristen sent me an email today with an article attached that was run by the AP wire. Here is the link to it http://www.newsobserver.com/news/nation_world/story/231421.html. I wasn't expecting this article. It's main focus seems to be on the benefits of the Innocence Commission. Greg's case is a prime example of why this comission is needed. The story seems to bring this out pretty well. What a coincidence that the news seems to pick up on Greg's story on Tuesdays mainly. The same day we go down to the courthouse. We were down there this morning and I have to say it was very "refreshing". Okay, "refreshing" meaning cold. These winter months are going to be tougher but if you dress for the weather it's still bearable. I'll be out there in the snow if need be. Come on out if you can. We'll have a cup of coffee for you.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T06:05:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I got up early this morning to check out the newspaper article about Greg's case. Mandy Locke at the News and Observer has put put a very good article together again. Check it our at http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local_state/story/211707.html. This year we really do have a lot to be thankful for relating to Greg's case. I look back on this year and am just amazed at what has progressed. So many people have worked so hard to bring justice to this situation. Thank you to the investigators and attoneys who have worked tirelessly to uncover the facts and present evidence that shows Greg's innocence. Thank you to the members of the Inocence Commission panel who gave up much of your time to listen to the facts of the case and vote in Greg's favor. Thank you to the reporters that convey to the public the fact of Greg's innocence. Thank you to all the friends and family for the support and prayers during this year and the many years before. Thank you God for listening to our prayers and showing your hand in this situation.
We all have so much to be thankful for. To lose so much by being wrongfully convicted of a murder is just beyond belief. Take today to think back about the many things you have been blessed with. Family, friends and even the smallest of luxuries. Then think about what it would be like to be cut off from all of these. Happy Thanksgiving!

Trial date set

2009-11-24T13:32:00.000-05:00

The TV stations have announced that Judge Stephens has set February 9th as the hearing date for the three judge panel. I've already had a few calls from the news stations already. Looks like we will be going through another holiday season without Greg being with us. If justice is to be served in this hearing, then Greg will be set free and will be with us next Christmas. Meanwhile we will hang in there and support Greg as much as possible.

11/23/09

2009-11-23T20:15:00.000-05:00

I'm posting kind of late this week. Greg wanted to let me know to thank everyone for him who has written. He will write you back. If you get the chance to write him his address is on the right hand side of this blog.He really enjoys the letters. We will be back in front of the courthouse tomorrow morning. It's been pretty quiet down there lately. A lot of people coming and going though. Hopefully the weather will hold out for us. They are only calling for a drizzle anyway. Come on down and join us if you can.

11/16/09

2009-11-16T19:17:00.000-05:00

We'll be down in front of the courthouse again tommorow morning. If you can make it come on down and have a cup of coffee with us. We'll be there as usual from 8-10. See you then.

Gathering

2009-11-09T20:25:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is Tuesday again and we will gather on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse.I must admit I have began to look forward to the Tuesday mornings to get a chance to visit with everyone. This is really a great group of caring people that come out. Come on down if you can make it.

11/5/09

2009-11-05T20:51:00.000-05:00

We had a good day in front of the courthouse on Tuesday. There wasn't any media there but we did get to talk to a lot of people. There are several people that have been following the case that stop by each week to see if anything new is going on and to wish Greg well. One man came by that had been in one of the prisons with Greg and took some classes with Greg. He said that Greg was a genius when working with computers and said Greg had helped him to get through the computer courses. That person is now employed in the computer field.
I talked with Greg tonight and he said that he had received a box of cards from a children's Sunday School class. You could tell he really enjoyed reading the cards. He said that he was showing off some of them to his friends there also. It's amazing to see what kids can do to brighten someones day. Greg was very thankful for the cards. If anyone can write he would really like to hear from you.

10/29/09

2009-10-29T11:58:00.002-04:00

Ruth Sheehan of the News and Observer wrote a column on Greg'a case yesterday. She mentioned that Willoughby is appearing disturbed about having to spend time and effort on Greg's case. Greg has been locked up for 16 years for a murder he did not commit. The jailhouse deals made through Willoughby's office is how they sent Greg to prison. I would hope after reviewing this case Willoughby will accept the fact that Greg is innocent and do the right thing. I pray that the truth be known and Greg be set free soon. The link to Sheehan's article is below:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/columnists_blogs/sheehan/story/161332.html.

10/26/09

2009-10-26T18:29:00.000-04:00

We will be on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse again tomorrow. If you can please come down and join us. We need to continue to show our supprt for Greg and the fact that he is innocent and make it be known. Hope to see you there.

Front Page N&O Today

2009-10-21T08:25:00.001-04:00

The News and Observer is on the trail again. Their reporter, Mandy Locke, went down to Scotland Correctional and interviewed Craig Taylor. The really great thing about the article is you get to hear straight from Craig Taylor about what the DA said last week. Interesting that the FBI and SBI were both sent down to talk with Craig and knowing he had confessed to the Thomas murder but would not ask him questions about it. They were there about another murder in VA which had already been linked to someone else by DNA.Our state goes and asks questions about an out of state murder but doesn't even want to touch an in state murder that the wrong man has spent 16 years for in prison. Doesn't make much sense to me.Here's the link to the article.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/story/150499.html

10/19/09

2009-10-19T18:46:00.000-04:00

Come join us downtown tommorow. We will be on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse again. We will continue to support Greg and his innocence. Greg is still in prison and the evidence shows that he did not commit this crime. We stand firm on the true fact that he is innocent. The weather is suppose to be a nice warm 43 degrees so come on out.

10/16/09

2009-10-16T08:06:00.000-04:00

We will be down in front of the courthouse again on Tuesday. Greg is innocent and still in prison. Each and every day he is in there is a travesty. I talked with Greg yesterday and he was in pretty good spirits. He really appreciates everyone standing behind him. We will continue to show our support for Greg's innocence. Please come out and join us.

10/14/09

2009-10-14T22:44:00.001-04:00

I see a few more people have joined in as followers. Welcome. If you haven't signed up as a follower , go ahead. It's nice to know who's keeping up with Greg's case and shows who you are if you want to make a comment. The News and Observer ran another story today. Again, they have been fair at reporting about this story. We got to see some of the opinions that the District Attorney voiced yesterday when he announced that he would be arguing Greg's case before the three judge panel. The article also stated that given the new information that the expert on confessions does not waver from his original opinion. He said the evidence makes the confession reliable. There are a quite a few other remarks I could make but I think it would be best to go back to sitting on my hands.

10/13/09

2009-10-13T21:52:00.000-04:00

Today started off well with the article in the newspaper. For over a week now the District Attorney has been telling the public that the only resolution for Greg's case was for it to go to the three judge panel. Former Chief Justice Lake wrote to give notice that the process of the commission does not affect any post conviction proceedings. That the DA does in fact still have the ability to petition the court or join the defense in petitioning the court for the release of a wrongfully convicted person.
Later in the day the DA gave his response and says he intends to take the case to the three judge panel. The response he has made still does not change the fact that Greg is innocent. Greg did not committ this crime and this is easily seen when you look at all the evidence. The victims sister was on the news tonight and declared she thought that Greg was innocent. "The evidence doesn't point to him," she said. "It may not point to Craig Taylor, but it doesn't point to Greg Taylor." We will not and cannot give up supporting Greg.

10/12/09

2009-10-12T20:56:00.001-04:00

We will be back on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse tommorow. Please come out if you can. There was a story ran on WTVD11 tonight if you want to check it out. Here is what our new statement will say tommorow:

PLEASE FREE GREG TAYLOR !!!

We are the family and friends of Greg Taylor. Greg was convicted in 1993 of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison for a crime he did not commit. He has been wrongfully imprisoned as a murderer for over 16 years. Finally, with the help of the NC Innocence Inquiry Commission, which followed up on investigation and referral from The NC Center on Actual Innocence, the truth has been revealed and another man has confessed to committing the crime. Every day that Greg is in prison is another day that is being unjustly taken from him and his family.
The Innocence Inquiry Commission review was held open to the media for the whole world to see. Everything was put out in the open. The case was thoroughly investigated by the Commission and presented to a panel of eight people, including a Judge, Prosecutor, District Attorney, former Sheriff, and a victim’s rights advocate. The eight member panel unanimously determined that there was enough evidence of innocence that Greg’s case should move to the next step of review by a three-judge panel.
The District Attorney has the power to resolve this injustice by joining the defense in a petition for the Court to release Greg. Extensive investigation has been performed and has shown there is no evidence that Greg committed this crime. The detailed confession by another inmate has enlightened even experts about details that were found at the scene. The District Attorney claims to be skeptical about the confession and has completely disregarded the expert opinion of a professional who specializes in confessions.
Greg’s innocence claim does not hinge on the confession by another inmate. Physical evidence in this case does not link Greg to the crime, the testimony of a jail house snitch and local prostitute are filled with inconsistencies and contradictions, and the remaining “circumstantial” evidence has been discredited. Please help by joining us in our plea that Greg Taylor be set free!
Rev 10/102/09

10/10/09

2009-10-10T15:05:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in a couple of days because there really hasn't been anything to report. The District Attorney stated this week that he plans to have a response next week. Let's pray that he can see that that Greg did not commit this murder and should be set free. He also stated last week that the power to free Greg is not in his hands. While it is true that a judge has to sign the order to release Greg , the District Attorney does have the ability to petition the court for Greg's release. We will be back on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse again on Tuesday from 8am-10am. Please join us there if you can make it. Let's hope this will be a great week!

Turn 'im loose Tuesday

2009-10-06T19:43:00.000-04:00

We met out in front of the courthouse again this morning. Not a very big turnout but after all, it was a relly bad hair day. I didn't have to worry about that too much though.WTVD came across the street and shot some video. At some point during the day they went in and got a statement from District Attorney Colon Willoughby. If you want to see the story here is the link.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=7051196.
I'm not exactly sure how to take Willoughby's statement but at least he doesn't shut out the possibility that he may at some point support Greg's innocecence. Let's pray that after reviewing everything he does realize the truth that Greg is innocent and needs to be released immediately.
I talked with Greg tonight and tried to describe the Facebook to him. I told him that there were over seventy people signed on as friends and he thought that was great. He was going to tell some of his friends there that he had at least seventy friends on the outside.

10/05/09

2009-10-05T22:17:00.000-04:00

A Free Greg Taylor Facebook page has been created. I put a link to it on my links section but I'm not sure it will work. Let me know if it doesn't. All plans are set to be downtown tommorow. I plan on being there rain or shine. I talked with Greg tonight and he really appreciates the effort. He did ask if I was still going to go if ir was raining. I told him I would go even if I was the only one out there getting soaked. We will see you out there tommorrow. Details are at right.

10/04/09

2009-10-04T22:08:00.000-04:00

Greg's story was in the newspaper again. Our Dad lives in Greensboro and the Greeensboro News and Record ran a front page article. You can check it out by going to this link:
http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/10/03/article/a_fathers_wait_a_sons_last_chance.
The reporter did a pretty good job. There was even a link to this blog in the reporters extra comments. The District Attorney had a couple of questionable statements to make. Hopefully now that he has all the information he will see that Greg is innocent and petition the court to drop the charges and set Greg free.
I wanted to remind everyone that we will be back on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse on Tuesday morning. Please come out if you can make it. We have had a great turnout so far. Don't do like I did last week and think you can make it in short sleeves. You will probably want to wear something warm under your "uniform". Thank you to the law students for your support and hard work that you do researching these cases. You are the future attorneys that are going to be out there and will definitely carry some very important experience with you.

10/02/09

2009-10-02T19:00:00.000-04:00

I talked to Greg tonight and he is doing okay. I think he is disappointed that things aren't moving a little quicker. Today makes four weeks since the commission has presented it's evidence and made it's decision.
Another month has gone by and an innocent man still sits in prison.
We are still planning to be on the sidewalk at the courthouse on Tuesday. Please come out if you can. Details are listed at top right. Hope to see you there.
Please keep praying that Greg will get out soon.

Turn 'im Loose Tuesday

2009-09-30T21:24:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to recap yesterday and let everyone know what's going on. We started out in front of the courthouse with our "public display of discontent" at 8am. Dwayne Dail came down to help us get the word out that Greg should be released now. Dwayne is really an interesting guy to talk to and puts his whole heart into helping other wrongfully convicted people. There were 4 TV stations that arrived plus a reporter from the Greensboro News & Record. The event was covered by the media very well. From the stories I saw running it looked like the stations were pretty accurate. Let me know if you saw anything I need to take a look at.
Our family was able to attend a dinner held for the NC Center for Actual Innocence. Darryl Hunt, Dwayne Dail, and John Grisham were the speakers. Darryl and Dwayne were in prison for wrongful convictions and released many years later. The stories of what these two men went through were really heartbreaking and all too familiar. Both are now focusing their lives on helping people that have been through the same situation. We were recognized as family members of Greg Taylor which was one of those bittersweet moments. It was good because Gregs case gained more exposure in front of many people in a field that can help, and bad because of the reason we found ourselves there. Author John Grisham was a former prosecutor that has written many novels and one book based on a true story book about the justice system. Mr. Grisham is a big supporter of Innocence Projects across the Country. Greg has read everyone of Grishams' books except for the last one which he hasn't been able to start yet. Mr. Grisham was kind enough to sign a copy of "The Innocent Man" for Greg.

Courthouse Gathering

2009-09-29T15:00:00.001-04:00

We had a pretty good morning at the courthouse. Hopefully there was some good exposure for Greg's case there. Four television stations came out and a reporter from the Greensboro News & Record. We had a pretty good turnout of people. The number of those bright green shirts out there keeps increasing. To those of you that have the shirts remember there is one catch. You have to wear it when you come back next week. That's right. We will be down on the sidewalk outside the courthouse next week at the same time. Please put this on your schedule if you can. Keep an eye out on the local news stations this afternoon and evening. This evening most of the family will be going to a benefit dinner for the Nc Center on Actual Innocence. Dwayne Dail will be speaking there and we will hear from author John Grisham. Greg has read all of Grisham's books except for the last one. His favorite was the only one based on a true story, "The Innocent Men". We will ask him to sign a copy for Greg. Thank you all for your prayers and support. Hope that Greg gets out soon.

09/28/09

2009-09-28T21:25:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the courthouse gathering. The fact that Greg is innocent is already out there. What we want to know is why he has to spend even one more day in prison. Thank you to everyone that's responded via email. If anyone sees they can go at the last minute that's fine. Come on out. Dwayne Dail will be there with us to support Greg. It's been over a week since the DA's office has officially had all the files. It's time for justice to be done and to set Greg free. Keeping an innocent man in prison even one day longer than necessary is punishing a man that does not deserve it. See you tomorrow!

Come out and Make a Difference

2009-09-27T21:32:00.001-04:00

I've heard from a few people that they will be coming out on Tuesday. This is a chance to get the word out that this case is being watched. Some people might be thinking about going and didn't think that one more person would make a difference, well it will. I know that 8AM is not a convenient time for most people. It's not for me. The hours between 8 and 10 are the most effective time and thats what we care about. Traffic around the courthouse is among the heaviest at this time and thats when we will be the most visible. So please come out and support Greg if you can. If possible, shoot me an email to let me know you are coming. etaylor2@bellsouth.net

A few words from Greg

2009-09-25T21:03:00.000-04:00

I talked with Greg tonight on the phone and he wanted me to give everyone a message for him. He is overwhelmed by the support of so many people he hasn't seen in so long. He really appreciates everything his friends and family are doing out here and hopes to see everyone soon. His eye is getting a little better and he is going to try and start writing some letters.

Takin it to the Streets!!

2009-09-25T20:24:00.001-04:00

Another week has gone by and no word yet. We will be gathering on the sidewalk on the Fayetteville St side of the Wake County Courthouse on Tuesday morning at 8AM.Our purpose is to publicly display our discontent about Greg still being in prison. We have a permit to be there and as long as we stay within the cities guidelines we have every right to be there. Please come down and help us show the District Attorney that there are people out here that want to see justice done. Dwayne Dail will be there also to support Greg. The DA's office has "officially" had the material for a week. Now it's time to set Greg free. We will be on the sidewalk on the Fayetteville St side of the courthouse. Please join us there!

Contact list

2009-09-25T07:53:00.000-04:00

I'm being getting really optimistic here but I just wanted to prepare for the best. I am putting together a list of people that want to be called if we get word that Greg is getting out. If you would like to be on this list just email me your phone number. I will divide up the list among family and friends so that we can get the word out as quickly as possible. My email is etaylor2@bellsouth.net.

Way to go

2009-09-24T12:44:00.000-04:00

Great job on the posts. Keep them coming.

Article - Voice your opinion.

2009-09-24T11:22:00.001-04:00

Have been watching the comments here and on the N&O. For anyone interested you can add your comments at the bottom of the article online. This will reach a lot of people. I see some familiar names on there already. Lets voice our opinions. This exposure will pass so let's make the most of it. I will be posting on there, probably sometime after lunch.

N&O Article Today

2009-09-24T08:15:00.002-04:00

The N&O has published an article on Greg today. I thought the article was well written. It's great that everyone finally gets to hear from Greg. Hopefully this article will create an urgency for Greg to be set free.
The District Attorneys office has the ability to vacate the charges and let him out at any moment. They have all the evidence. The whole commission hearing was out in the open for everyone to see.NOW IS THE TIME TO FREE GREG! They need to do the right thing and not delay another day,hour, or minute!
Here's the link to the article: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local_state/story/113985.html
Post some comments on what you think about the article.

DA's response letter

2009-09-23T21:56:00.002-04:00

The article will definitely be in the paper in the morning. Keep an eye out for it. It's nice to see the list of followers grow. When Greg calls I let him know who's added their name and is keeping up with what's going on.
Kristen got a response letter from Colon Willoughby today stating that they the information that was given to them was completed on Friday. The letter stated "After we have had an oppurtunity to review this evidence we can give our opinion as to whether the jury verdict should be overturned." I hope the District Attorneys office is staying up late at nights working on this because there are a lot of people out here losing sleep until Greg is freed. Every day since Friday is a day Greg loses waiting on them. Another day that can't be returned to him.

UPDATE SATURDAYUPDATE

2009-09-23T14:34:00.000-04:00

SATURDAY AT LAKE WHEELER HAS BEEN CANCELED. Due to the unsure weather and some logistical problems we have had to cancel Saturday at lake wheeler. I apologize if I have messed up plans anyone had. There were some issues with permits and such that just couldn't be worked out at the last minute. The weather was also calling for rain pretty much through Sunday. There will be another opportunity to come out very soon and I will give the details as soon as they are available.
Newspaper Article: The word from the News and Observer is they will run the article tomorrow. Apparently they do some shifting around of stories when possible to even out the content of the newspaper. My guess this is a fairly large article and they have to run it when they have room. Check out Thursdays paper and hopefully it will be in there.

N&O Article

2009-09-23T07:52:00.001-04:00

Again there was no article in the paper today. I will try to find out more info and let you know back later.

09/22/09

2009-09-22T20:11:00.000-04:00

I have posted the information on Saturday on the right so it's easy to find. I am looking forward to seeing a lot of people there. I talked to Greg this evening and he said his eye is slowly starting to improve. Thanks for all the prayers about that situation. The newspaper article missed going out today but should be in Wednesday. You will get to hear from Greg in this article and maybe get to see some recent pictures other than the DOC mug shot. Still no word from the District Attorneys office. Each day that goes by is one more day of Greg's life that should not be wasted in prison.

N&O Article

2009-09-22T11:19:00.000-04:00

We had been expecting an article in the N&O today on Greg. It has been held over until tomorrow so be sure and look for it.

09/21/09 RALLY FOR GREG

2009-09-21T21:43:00.003-04:00

We are having a Free Greg Taylor Rally on Saturday at 3PM. Special guest Dwayne Dail will be sharing with us how a wrongful conviction has affected his life and why it is so important to prevent it. Mr. Dail was wrongfully convicted in the rape of a twelve year old girl and was sentenced to two life sentences plus eighteen years. He was released after serving over eighteen years for a crime he did not commit.Mr. Dail persues every opportunity he can to help fight wrongful convictions such as Greg's. Please come out and show supprt for Greg. The more people we have there the more support will be shown for Greg. I'm sure a lot of you will enjoy seeing some old friends as well. The rally will be held at shelter #9 at Lake Wheeler Park. If you drive into the park follow the road toward the boat ramp and you will see two large picnic shelters on your left. We will be in the one closest to the road. Parking is available on your right. Please pass this information along to anyone you think will want to go. Please let me know if you plan to go so we can have a general idea of how many to expect. WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF WE HAD TO CHANGE THIS TO A WELCOME HOME PARTY?! Thank you again for your prayers and support for Greg.

09/20/09

2009-09-20T21:09:00.000-04:00

Now that Friday's gathering is over we need to look ahead on what to do next. Please keep your schedules open for Saturday afternoon September 26th. I have an event planned I just need to confirm on a place and time. Hopefully I will be able to post all the details tommorow evening. I'm hoping that we get some great news soon.

09/19/09

2009-09-19T22:33:00.002-04:00

We had a nice article in the N&O today about the gathering on Friday. You can check ot out at :
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1696065.html. The N&O has done a good job reporting on Greg's case. This article really showed the impact Greg's wrongful conviction has had on his family. The article also expressed the urgency of getting Greg released so thet he can begin the new life that he deserves.
The paper reported a detail that really makes you open your eyes. The man that confessed this summer to committing the murder Greg was convicted for, tried to confess to a prison psychologist in 1996 that he had committed two murders. The comment by the psychologist about this confession was noted as "is matter of fact about his intent and there is no psychosis present." Kind of makes you wonder. The psycholigist said the man's not crazy and claims he killed a couple of people. Yet no one followed up to get more infromation. Could Greg's case have been solved as early as 1996 if someone followed through? At least the previous confession does add cedibilty to the latest confession. Interesting. Two men whose stories haven't changed. Greg claims innocence since 1991 and the man who confessed has made his claim of guilt at least since 1996. Nobody listened to either on of them until now.
I talked with Greg on the phone today. He is starting to see a little difference in his eye which we are hoping indicates it is getting better. He mentioned that he had gotten some letters. If any one is shying away from writing because they haven't written before now, don't worry about that. Greg has really enjoyed hearing from evrybody that has written him. If you've been following the blog and haven't signed in as a follower go ahead and do it. If you're on the list I can mention to Greg who's keeping up with him out there.

09/18/08 A Good Day

2009-09-18T21:31:00.001-04:00

We had a really good day today. Lots to write about.
Greg was woken up at 4:30am to go to a doctor at Duke today for his eye. They did an eyetest then injected some dye in his eye.(I guess to see where the bleeding was coming from). They said he had a macular hemmorhage. Then they stuck another needle in his eye to inject medicine that should help him. The doctor told him that the medicine helps about 75% of the people with his condition. Of that 75% , two thirds of them have vision restored back to the point it was before the hemmorhage.This was really good news. Greg sounded so relieved tonight when I talked to him on the phone. The doctor said his other eye showed no signs of having the same problem.While his eye is not better yet, he does have some hope that it can be fixed. Thank you all for your prayers about this situation.
We met on the sidewalk in front of the Wake County Courthouse to show our support for Greg. We had about thirty or more people show up. I was trying to come up with a way to let people know why we were there but would have been uncomfortable holding up any sign. Thats when I thought about the tshirts. I had some bright green tshirts made up with big black letters that read "FREE GREG TAYLOR". A lot of people came up to us out there on the street and asked "Who is Greg Taylor?". We would briefly tell them why we were there and give them a written statement to take with them. I'll post the statement at the bottom of this post.
We were pleased to meet staff and students from the Innocence Project at Campbell University Law School here in Raleigh. These furture attorneys have been following Greg's case for a while now and showed a genuine interest in innocence investigation. These students and ones from other law schools have been a great asset in Greg's case getting to where it is now. Innocence claims are filtered through the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence which coordinates the cases with the Innocence Projects at each school. I have posted the link for The Center on the Links section of this blog. Check it out.
The News and Observer was there and should be running a story Saturday morning. Thank you to everyone that came out today and the ones that couldn't make it but supported us.
Greg asked me to thank everyone that has been sending him letters. He has read them and loved hearing from you. I can tell they have really boosted him up by talking to him. He wants to write back to all of you but is trying to take it easy on his eye. Speaking on behalf of Greg and his family, the support and prayers every one has offered is really uplifting - we thank you.

Hand out from today:

PLEASE FREE GREG TAYLOR
We are the family and friends of Greg Taylor. Greg was convicted in 1993 of first degree murder. We have known for all these years that Greg is innocent. Finally, with the help of the NC Innocence Inquiry Commission, which followed up on investigation and referral from The NC Center on Actual Innocence, the truth has been revealed and another man has confessed to committing the crime. We are not here to scream and shout to let Greg out, but to let people know that there are people who love and support Greg and want to see injustice corrected in his case. Greg is our son, father, brother, uncle, and friend. Everyday that he is in prison is another day that is being unjustly taken from him. The Innocence Inquiry Commission review was held open to the media for the whole world to see. Everything was put out in the open. Greg has had the label of murderer put on him for sixteen years and now the evidence proves he is and always has been innocent. Can you imagine living each day in prison for a crime you did not commit? How would you feel if the whole world were passing you by on the outside while you were locked up for something you didn’t do? Our plea is that the district attorney and the court system serve justice and immediately stop the torture Greg has endured for so long. Our plea is that those who can impact justice in this case not go home and sleep comfortably in their homes with their families each night if there is one more thing they could do each day to bring Greg one step closer to getting his life back. Return to us our son, father, brother, uncle, and friend. Do not let this man remain in prison one minute longer than absolutely necessary.

09/17/09

2009-09-17T22:51:00.000-04:00

Today has been a pretty eventful day. There was a short segment about Greg's case on WRAL tonight. Greg was sent to see an optometrist today about his eye. Basically there is some bleeding going on inside his eye that that is causing him to gradually lose sight. We are very grateful for the help from various people that have sped up the process for him to get to a doctor. He is going to see a specialist tommorow after we thought it might take a month or longer.
Tommorow we will gather on the sidewalk by the Wake County Courthouse on the Fayetteville St. side. If anybody plans on coming and has not contacted me please drop me a message if you can. Otherwise just come on out. Again I just wanted to convey that this is a peaceful of gathering of Greg's friends to stop by the courthouse steps we hope to see him coming down very soon. See you there rain or shine.

Peaceful Gathering to Support Greg

2009-09-16T21:01:00.002-04:00

The Wake County District Attorney has had a full week now to review the evidence the Innocence Commission has revealed. It is time to let the public know that friends and family of Greg believe he should be released from prison. Every day that Greg is in prison is another day that an innocent man is punished for no reason. SIXTEEN YEARS OF BEING LABELED AND TREATED LIKE A MURDERER IS ENOUGH! The evidence shows that Greg did not commit this murder and another man has confessed to being the actual killer. The Innocence Commission took two days to present the case to a panel and convince them of Greg's innocence. The District Attorney should come to the same conclusion in a week. Justice needs to be carried out and not purposefully delayed.
I would like to meet with as many people as possible on Friday afternoon at 3pm at the Wake County Courthouse sidewalk on Fayetteville street. You don't have to do anything, just showing up will help. We will have a peaceful gathering to support Greg. I know this is short notice but the bigger turnout we have the better it will be. Bring your friends and family whether they know Greg or not. Anyone that believes an innocent man should not be kept in prison can take part and show support. I need to know how many people can attend. Please send a comment on this post or email me at etaylor2@bellsouth.net if you can attend. If for some reason we have to call off this gathering I will post it on this blog on Friday. Thank you all for your support!

09/15/09

2009-09-15T22:14:00.001-04:00

Greg got word today that he has an appointment with a PA in the morning at 10:00. This will be the first doctor he sees for his eye. Lets hope the PA will get him to an opthamologist soon. Mrs. C asked about writing letters to try and help Greg. If anybody is willing to write letters to support Greg that would be great. Some suggestions may be the Wake District Attorneys office or newspapers and television stations. I am sure they will listen to what their voters and audience have to say. I see Greg's case has been put on the "Truth in Justice" website. The newspaper article can be found in the recent cases section of http://www.truthinjustice.org/. I've watched this site over the years. It focuses on cases where people have been wrongfully convicted and the common elements that caused it. PLEASE CHECK OUT THE ATTACHED COMMENTS FROM MARY C ON WRITING LETTERS. SHE HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AT THIS AND HAS MADE SOME GREAT SUGGESTIONS.

09/14/09

2009-09-14T21:13:00.000-04:00

Dad and I went to see Greg on Sunday. Greg's eye problem seems to be worsening. We've called all the people we can think of so hopefully he will get help soon. Not much else to report right now. Still waiting for the assignment of the judges and a hearing date. Even better would be a drop in charges to set Greg free. Greg's already been through so much and the true killer has been found. It would seem like the right thing to do would be to let him out as quickly as possible. Every day that Greg is in prison is another day an innocent man has served for a crime he did not committ. Another day he can't get back. The first 6000 + days were a mistake. Why add more? Hang in there folks and keep praying for the best.

09/12/09

2009-09-12T18:13:00.000-04:00

Thank you Mrs. Conyers for the nice letter you wrote Greg. We printed it off and mailed it to him. We still haven't heard what the DA plans to do in Greg's case. They should have all the files by now and I would imagine it would still take a while to review everything. Lets hope that they can see that he is innocent soon and do the right thing by helping to get him out quickly. Right before Greg's Innocence Commission hearing there was a man released in Forsyth county on DNA evidence for a rape he was convicted of 14 years ago. Tom Keith (district attorney) actually appeared before the judge to ask for his release. This is a great example of the system making a mistake but going to great lengths to correct itself. The District attorneys office cooperated with the NC Center on Actual Innocecnce in getting the DNA tested.Once the wrong man was set free they started trying to find the person that actually committed the crime. We can hope the Wake County DA's office will follow this lead and help get Greg released quickly. My Dad and I are going to visit Greg tommorow and I'll let everybody know how he's doing. If you want me to tell Greg anything just send me a comment.

Greg's phone call 9/11/09

2009-09-11T19:19:00.001-04:00

Got a call from Greg tonight . He got a visit from his attorney yesterday and is beginning to review the details of what went on in the hearing. He was amazed by the investigative work that was done in his case. Any of us who kept up with the hearing knows what a great job the commission did in checking out all the details. I let him know that I had posted his address on this blog. He would enjoy hearing from anybody if you get a chance to write. Greg continues to have problems with his vision. He said the spot that he has been seeing is getting larger and darker. We've made calls to try and speed up his getting to see an eye doctor but he has not heard anything yet. If you're not in an emergencey situation then you have to wait until they are ready to schedule you. Please pray that this will be something that can be healed and not result in permanent damage. He's really worried about it.

Letter to Editor 09/10/09 N&O

2009-09-10T12:38:00.000-04:00

The N&O published a letter to the editor about Greg's case today. You can check it out at this link.
http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/1682196.html
This was written by long time family friend Mary Conyers. Thank you Mrs. Conyers for speaking out for Greg and our family to let people know the seriousness of a wrongful conviction and how it not only affects the convicted but all those around him. Mrs. Conyers has been to the rescue of my family and I before. I am told she is to credit for getting my Mom to the hospital quickly and safely when I was born. Thank you Conyers family for all you've done!

Call from Greg tonight 09/09/09

2009-09-09T20:54:00.003-04:00

Got a call from Greg tonight. He was able to get his eyes checked. Without his glasses he was not able to make out anything on the chart at all. They are going to set him up to see an optometrist and hopefully he will get an appointment in the next couple of weeks. He had a visit from the staff of The NC Innocence Inquiry Commission. They went down get some legal stuff taken care of. I'm sure he was happy to be able to thank them in person for all the hard work they have put into finally bringing out the truth in his case.
Kristen asked in a previous comment what would be coming next.Here is what I undersatnd will take place. The request has or will be put in to the Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court to form a three judge panel to review the case. Once the three judge panel has been formed they will establish a hearing date. As mentioned in the statute Kristen referred to, the State will file a response to the order from the commission within sixty days of the judges setting a hearing date indicating whether or not it will argue the case. The state does have the ability to drop the charges at any time. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they went ahead and dropped the charges?!?

N&O today 9/9/09

2009-09-09T13:07:00.001-04:00

There was a large article today in the News and Observer Editorial page. This was written by the N&O and appears to be pretty accurate. You can go to this link to check it out http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/editorials/story/1680480.html.
There was also another article in the public opinion page. Once again ignorance rears its ugly head. This guy thinks that the people being found innocent are criminals of one sort or another and there is no big tragedy. Any one who would like to view this rubbish can go to http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/1680488.html and check it out. You will also notice there is a place to express your opinion to Mr. Weizmann if you so choose.

Gregs Call 09/08/09

2009-09-08T21:24:00.001-04:00

Talked with Greg on the phone tonight. He really liked the idea about the blog. I read him off the comments and he really appreciated hearing from you folks. Missy- looks like the name is showing up now, look forward to hearing from you. Most of Greg's call tonight was him asking questions about stuff in the hearing. We got to hear two days of the hearing and all he was able to catch was what was in the news. Kristen, the list keeps getting longer and longer and longer. Can anyone else think of what has come about in the last 16 years that will be new to Greg?? We are building a list of things he'll want to check out. Hope all are doing well and keep praying Greg gets out soon.

Visit with Greg 09/06/09

2009-09-07T16:41:00.000-04:00

Kristen and I went to visit Greg on Sunday. He was doiong pretty good except for a vision problem he is having. He has a blurry spot in one of his eyes which has him very concerned. Reading is something he does a lot of and the burry vision makes it hard for him to read. Lets hope he can get to an eye doctor soon and get htis fixed. He liked hearing about the prayers and support of all his friends and family during the past week. Thank you all for being there.

FREE GREG TAYLOR

Radio Interview

GREG TAYLOR FREE!!

02/14/10

Day 3 of Hearing

Big day is here

Note from Dad

Last Courthouse Gathering

01/27/10

01/25/09

01/12/09

Tuesday 01/05/09 . Happy New Year!

Tuesday 12/28/09

Merry Christmas!!

BBRRRRRRR!!

12/22/09 at the Courthouse

12/08/09 Article

Happy Thanksgiving

Trial date set

11/23/09

11/16/09

Gathering

11/5/09

10/29/09

10/26/09

Front Page N&O Today

10/19/09

10/16/09

10/14/09

10/13/09

10/12/09

10/10/09

Turn 'im loose Tuesday

10/05/09

10/04/09

10/02/09

Turn 'im Loose Tuesday

Courthouse Gathering

09/28/09

Come out and Make a Difference

A few words from Greg

Takin it to the Streets!!

Contact list

Way to go

Article - Voice your opinion.

N&O Article Today

DA's response letter

**UPDATE** SATURDAY**UPDATE**

N&O Article

09/22/09

N&O Article

09/21/09 RALLY FOR GREG

09/20/09

09/19/09

09/18/08 A Good Day

09/17/09

Peaceful Gathering to Support Greg

09/15/09

09/14/09

09/12/09

Greg's phone call 9/11/09

Letter to Editor 09/10/09 N&O

Call from Greg tonight 09/09/09

N&O today 9/9/09

Gregs Call 09/08/09

Visit with Greg 09/06/09

UPDATE SATURDAYUPDATE