BFFs with the headmaster’s wife. In their eyes, Gampy offering to help Eli was like saying he didn’t believe the victim.” The more she speaks, the more her annoyance at the situation shows.
“What happened?” I ask.
“The case made headlines, and there were a lot of strong opinions on both sides,” Wes states. “Gampy fought to get him a fair trial, which wasn’t easy. In the end, no matter what he did, no matter the holes he poked in the supposed narrative or the lack of any physical evidence, it wasn’t enough. The jury made their decision before they even walked into that room and listened to opening statements. But Gampy refused to give up the fight. He appealed. Threw everything he had into it.”
“Lost everything because of it, too,” Julia adds sadly.
“Lost everything?”
“Eli’s parents lost their jobs,” she explains. “Their employers claimed it had nothing to do with the charges filed against their son, but it’s obvious it did. Since this case was big news, they struggled to find other jobs. They could have moved, but they wanted Eli to have a home to return to once charges were dropped and he was released from custody. So Gampy paid all their bills, their mortgage. They already had two kids in college, and he also paid for their tuition so they didn’t have to worry about it. That’s how strongly he believed in Eli’s innocence, especially when the baby was born and… Surprise! It was white. When Gampy brought that up to the girl’s father, he argued the baby was light for a black baby. But let me tell you. That baby wasn’t just light. Her skin was extremely fair. Even pastier than my Irish skin.”
“That must have raised some eyebrows, didn’t it?”
“Of course.” Julia nods. “Gampy asked to have a paternity test done, which her father refused. But his big mistake was asking for a civil order of support. Which was just vindictive at this point, considering Eli had been sentenced to serve fifteen years in prison and he couldn’t remotely afford it. However, the second he demanded child support, Eli had the right to verify his paternity. I’ll let you guess how that worked out.”
“He wasn’t the father,” I breathe.
“No, he wasn’t.” Julia gives me a tight-lipped smile.
“So was his conviction overturned?”
“Gampy tried, based on new exculpatory evidence. Unfortunately, the appeals court claimed that the pregnancy wasn’t the sole piece of evidence tying him to the rape. It didn’t matter that there was no evidence tying him to the rape. Period.”
“That’s so fucked up,” I say, unable to stop myself, although I’m not surprised. The criminal justice system isn’t too kind to black and brown people. Once you’re arrested, they’ll do everything to keep you in the system.
“Gampy fought to free him until his dying day,” Wes states. “And Meemaw fully supported his fight. He went to the media. Told the story. It made headlines for a while, and some people put pressure on the legislature to reform the criminal justice system. But then September 11th happened, and the world had a new fight, something more important than one innocent black man sitting in prison.”
“Even though we all know there’s more than just one innocent black man sitting in prison,” Julia adds.
“Did he ever get out?” My heart aches over the idea of this boy sitting in a prison for any length of time for a crime he didn’t commit. I don’t even question his innocence. I can feel it in my soul, like Gampy probably could.
Wes’ expression falls and he solemnly shakes his head. “He hung himself in his cell.”
My hands fly to my throat, an ache within. How desperate he must have been to end his life in such a cruel and painful manner. All because one man saw his daughter’s promiscuity as a way to eliminate a black man from his precious school. I wish I could say I’m surprised.
I’m not.
I wish I could say Elijah’s case is unique.
It’s not.
“How did Gampy react?”
“He never found out,” Wes says somberly. “He’d passed away a month prior. I think that’s why Eli did it. With Gampy gone, he lost hope of anyone else fighting for him.”
I swallow through the lump in my throat as we all sit in silence. It’s such a tragic story, one that never should have happened. The world needs more people like Gampy. People who are willing to see an injustice and fight it instead of sitting back and allowing it to happen.