Beyond the usual appeals process, Lee Max Barnett, 61, sentenced to die Nov. 30, 1988, after being convicted of the torture-murder of a gold miner in the foothills north of Forest Ranch, is taking his case to the public by way of the Internet.
“My name is Lee Max Barnett. I used to be a bit of a hell-raiser,” opens the first lines of Barnett’s Web page at www.truthinjustice.org/barnett.htm.
“I lived in the mountains near Chico, California, where I dredged for gold and mixed with some pretty dubious people. I am no saint. For example, I have used alias names several times to avoid paying taxes, and I used to grow quite a lot of marijuana.??
“About twelve years ago things started to get out of hand. I was framed for a murder and now I have spent ten years on Death Row in San Quentin State Prison for a murder I didn’t commit,” continues his electronic statement.
Barnett goes on to claim he was framed by Billy Cantwell, who was one of the prosecution’s lead witnesses in the original murder trial. Barnett claims Cantwell was the actual killer.
Also according to Barnett, Cantwell feared his “lies” were about to be exposed and he committed suicide in January 1997.
“Obviously Mr. Barnett is beginning to spin his own version of reality and is beginning to believe his own version of reality,” said District Attorney Mike Ramsey.
Ramsey said the jury heard a “whole variety of different witnesses” who identified Barnett as the killer.
As far as Cantwell’s suicide is concerned, Ramsey said, “Billy had a drug problem. After a while it wears you down both physically and psychiatrically.”
Beyond the usual appeals process, Lee Max Barnett, 61, sentenced to die Nov. 30, 1988, after being convicted of the torture-murder of a gold miner in the foothills north of Forest Ranch, is taking his case to the public by way of the Internet.
“My name is Lee Max Barnett. I used to be a bit of a hell-raiser,” opens the first lines of Barnett’s Web page at www.truthinjustice.org/barnett.htm.
“I lived in the mountains near Chico, California, where I dredged for gold and mixed with some pretty dubious people. I am no saint. For example, I have used alias names several times to avoid paying taxes, and I used to grow quite a lot of marijuana.??
“About twelve years ago things started to get out of hand. I was framed for a murder and now I have spent ten years on Death Row in San Quentin State Prison for a murder I didn’t commit,” continues his electronic statement.
Barnett goes on to claim he was framed by Billy Cantwell, who was one of the prosecution’s lead witnesses in the original murder trial. Barnett claims Cantwell was the actual killer.
Also according to Barnett, Cantwell feared his “lies” were about to be exposed and he committed suicide in January 1997.
“Obviously Mr. Barnett is beginning to spin his own version of reality and is beginning to believe his own version of reality,” said District Attorney Mike Ramsey.
Ramsey said the jury heard a “whole variety of different witnesses” who identified Barnett as the killer.
As far as Cantwell’s suicide is concerned, Ramsey said, “Billy had a drug problem. After a while it wears you down both physically and psychiatrically.”
