Carl Drew's Blind Justice

 "I first met Lea Johnson at Pier 14. Lea was originally from Fall River but had spent some time in Rhode Island. She told me she had just moved back to Fall River and was working the streets for money. Lea was a known prostitute who worked in the Bedford Street area.

Lea was “playing the game” that night. Not only with the men coming into the bar but also with me as well. As I was working that night, I learned a group of men were planning on a gang bang on her. I told her what they were up to and that, if she wanted, I could put a stop to it. I was having some friends over after hours, I invited her to come with us. Lea agreed.

From that night on Lea made the decision to work under me. She did not have a place to go, so I allowed her to stay with me. At least until my girl, who was being held without bail, was released. Lea would work the streets to help with the rent.

Lea and I had a friendly relationship. Every now and then I would take her places, such as Maureen “Sunny” Sparda’s apartment. I’d even been to her sister’s house in Fall River.

Meanwhile, the streets were starting to get crazy. The bodies of two young girls, Dorren Levesque, and Barbara Raposa had been found. The poor girls had been brutally murdered. It was the night shortly after Lea had come home, upset, and scared. She told me she was afraid of me! She told me people were talking about me, saying I had something to done with what had happened to these girls.

I sat her down in the living room and assured her I had nothing to do with the death of those poor girls. When she calmed down, I told her a little about my childhood. You see, my father was an abusive alcoholic. I told her how one winter, after a big snowstorm, the roof on our barn had collapsed killing two of our horses in the process. My father made me, a child, cut those horses up. He made me dig a large hole and bury those poor horses. I hated it.

Shortly after I received a call from an old pimp, Roger Banks. He and his old lady Sandy had been friends of Karens. Roger asked me to come over. So, I did, and I brought Lea with me.  Roger’s old lady so much she and Karen would exchange clothes and jewelry. By this time, Karens remains, not her body but her skull, had been found. Both Roger and Sandy were very upset by what happened to poor Karen.  Sandy had a box of Karen’s stuff. She asked me if I wanted any of it. I wasn’t interested but Lea saw a ring she liked. It was fake costume jewelry, not worth anything. Lea asked if she could have it.  That is the truth of how “the ring” came to be in Lea’s possession.

Little did I know Lea would use this ring against me, to set me up. Lea told the police I had given her the ring. I gave it to her one night in a bar. She told the police it was Maureen “Sunny” Sparda who recognized the ring as belonging to Karen Marsden.  She deliberately lied, setting me up for the murder of Karen Marsden. It worked. Despite the fact that during my trial, Karen's grandmother  did not recognize the ring as belonging to Karen, their plan worked.

It wasn’t until use later I would discover why. Years later, Lea confessed the truth to Paul Carey. She would even complete an affidavit admitting she gave false testimony. Lea had eight counts of prostitution in the courts and though they were in her sister’s custody, Lea had young children. The District Attorney would use this against Lea, telling her if she didn’t go along with the story she would be put away for a long time. She would lose her kids.  Feeling defeated, Lea gave in."

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-Carl Drew