Grandma’s 1991 letter to Barbara Roberts re Frank Gable. Text:
Dear Governor Roberts,
I am very upset, as I’m sure many Oregonians are, with the outcome of the Gable trial.
Even though it’s obvious that Frank Gable has led a seamy life, he has a constitutional right to a fair trial in the specific charge of whether or not he killed Michael Francke.
Why did the defense ignore a crucial bit of information that was published by Phil Stanford? I’m sure you are aware of the issue raised by Stanford’s column of 6-19-91. Jodie Swearingen had had conversations with staff people at Hillcrest about her complicity in a murder and about her anxiety concerning it, and according to the police report she had told Mrs. X that her boy friend was involved. Court reference to the report ended there; neither the prosecutor nor the defense asked the obvious question, “Who was your boy friend at the time of the murder?” to which she would have answered “Tim Natividad.”
What is the matter with the justice system in Oregon? How can it be that so soon after the 4 years imprisonment of Santiago Ventura (which the “professionals” in the state justice system insisted was justified in spite of numerous pieces of evidence to the contrary) we have another case in which crucial evidence is ignored by prosecution and defense alike?
Many of us are waiting for some public statement of concern from a public figure. Could we hear from you?
Sincerely,
Mary E. Bolton