Tallahassee, FL—He used racist vulgar. He put his hands on a child. He prevented a mother from protecting her child. He refused a child access to an attorney. Again, he put his hands on a child. He locked a child and his mother in a room. He prevented the child and his mother from leaving. He put his hands on the child’s mother. He prevented the child from leaving. He escorted the child’s mother out of a government building, as he used racist vulgar. Again, he put his hands on a child. He is Don Odham. The child and mother are DeShon Thomas and DeShon’s mother.
These are just a few of the events that occurred between DeShon Thomas, his mother, and a man who introduced himself as, “Leon County Sheriff’s Detective Don Odham”. The time and place of events were during the early evening hours of January 28, 2011 leading into the early morning hours of January 29, 2011, right inside of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Neither Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell nor anyone of his staff members, including veteran detectives and deputies—stepped in to protect DeShon and/or his mother from the abuse of “Leon County Sheriff’s Detective Don Odham”, who now DeShon and his mother now know that Don Odham was not a Leon County Sheriff’s Detective. While it is unknown as to who all knew that Mr. Don Odham was not a certified law enforcement officer and was not an employee of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the truth of the matter is Mr. Odham was allowed to physically and emotionally abuse a child and the child’s mother—inside of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and nobody spoke up.
When DeShon’s mother informed Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi about DeShon being violated, Attorney General Bondi…kicked the can.
Mr. Don Odham frisked and handcuffed DeShon, as DeShon and his mother were leaving Juvenile Court to address charges of Cultivation of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. DeShon plead not guilty. These two bogus charges had been sent to adult court. There was never a warrant issued for DeShon’s arrest—Mr. Don Odham acted on his own accord. Sheriff Larry Campbell’s son, Jack Campbell, is an Assistant State Attorney/Prosecutor, working closely (in the same office) with State Attorney Willie Meggs. Assistant State Attorney/Prosecutor Jack Campbell presented Mr. Don Odham and various notarized documents prepared by Mr. Odham to judges and filed the documents with the Leon County Clerk of Courts, identifying Mr. Odham as a “Leon County Sheriff’s Detective”. After DeShon had been arrested by Mr. Don Odham, Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell, along with Mr. Don Odham, State Attorney Willie Meggs and Assistant State Attorney/ Prosecutor Jack Campbell, had DeShon charged with Two Counts of 1st Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Delinquent. After DeShon’s arrest, Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell assigned Mr. Don Odham as lead detective on the double homicide case in that which DeShon had been charged. Mr. Don Odham, alone, had replaced a woman that was lead detective, who was a certified veteran detective, and her team of certified veteran law enforcement officers. Mr. Don Odham was a wealthy friend of the Campbell’s—not a Reserve Deputy—just a wealthy friend who had been given more power than certified veteran law enforcement officers and was allowed to “Play Cop”.
Over three years of DeShon’s case proceedings revealed two conspiring circuit court judges, plenty of acts of prosecutorial misconduct, five different fearful defense attorneys (including the one private paid nearly $30,000 by DeShon’s mother), and several perjured testimonies (including the medical examiner). These atrocities is what it took to get DeShon, a child, convicted on Two Counts of 1st Degree Murder and Solicitation to Commit 1st Degree Murder. Clearly, this is a wrongful conviction. There is no physical evidence to connect DeShon to the murders. The two victims (brother and sister), who were DeShon’s friends, died of gunshot wounds. The female victim was pregnant, possibly with DeShon’s baby. No murder weapon was recovered. The victims’ autopsy reports were kept from public record and was never provided or reviewed by DeShon. No one from the Florida District Two Medical Examiner’s Office ever went to the crime scene to attend to the bodies or observe the crime scene. After the conviction, DeShon plead no contest to Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Delinquent (another conniving move by a fearful court appointed attorney with the Regional Counsel’s Office, Daren Shippy).
Thus far, DeShon’s mother has been unable to hire a private attorney to handle DeShon’s appeal. Mainly for two reasons—one, several attorneys that DeShon’s mother has spoken with and paid hundreds of dollars in consultation fees have proven to be either fearful of getting involved in DeShon’s case or sickened by the gross mishandling of a double murder case involving a child defendant. And two, The Florida Bar has already proven to protect lawyers who practice unethically. DeShon’s private paid defense attorney, Greg Cummings, violated several Rules of Professional conduct by definition—yet, DeShon’s mother’s complaint with the Florida bar was dismissed, and DeShon’s complaint with The Florida Bar, fell flat. Greg Cummings robbed DeShon and his mother–what’s to stop another attorney from doing the same and again, have the protection of The Florida Bar? DeShon’s mother is a single mother, who has another son, and is the caregiver for two relatives children (one with special needs whose mother is deceased). Greg Cummings never had the intentions of protecting DeShon’s constitutional rights. The Florida Bar’s failure to hold Greg Cummings accountable for violating their rules basically leaves the door wide open for other attorneys to rob their clients—this acceptance of violations puts attorneys lives at risk. Not everyone can/will withstand blatantly being robbed of nearly $30,000. Many people have lost their lives over less money.
Now that DeShon has been in prison for over a year and a half, DeShon and his family does not understand why the Office of Regional Counsel and Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi continue to further protect a “Fake Cop” and not DeShon’s constitutional rights—as DeShon’s appeal’s process has begun? More importantly, why are Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi and the Office of Regional Counsel NOT protecting the people? It is the citizens of Florida who are paying their salaries. Recently, it has been reported that the trial judge on DeShon’s case, Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford, has removed herself from the bench as she is being investigated for acts of misconduct by the Judicial Qualifications Commission–acts that she is alleged of committing before and after she abruptly replaced Circuit Judge James C. Hankinson, who had been presiding over DeShon’s case for nearly three years.
In this diabolical judicial mess, DeShon Thomas is not the only one being abused. Florida taxpayers are paying the cost to fund corruption. Florida taxpayers are purposely being put in danger by elected officials and other public servants. Florida taxpayers are being abused by elected officials. DeShon is INNOCENT! Therefore, there is a cold-blooded murderer luring in somebody’s neighborhood. At any given time, this murderer can attack tourists, a family visiting college campuses, or Florida’s own citizens. Many criminal behavioral analysts have long said, “That once a person murders one time, they are likely to murder again.”
Currently, Tallahassee has a record number of unsolved murders, including that of Florida State University Law Professor Dan Markel. Professor Dan Markel, a Canadian citizen, was murdered in the driveway of his home in Northeast Tallahassee—during the morning day light. Although the murder of Professor Dan Markel may have absolutely nothing to do with the double murders of that in which DeShon was charged, surely, the routine exhibit of law enforcement officials and judicial officials inability to conduct themselves ethically, have set the tone for those who commit murder to commit murder with boldness. In the double murder case in that which DeShon was charged, there was a lot of physical evidence left at the double murder scene. However, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement forensic analyst testified that he was only provided with DeShon’s DNA profile. The same FDLE analyst testified that DeShon’s DNA profile was a mixture of DNA found on a back door knob and the doors lock at the home of the victims (crime scene). Early on in the investigations, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office knew that DeShon once lived at the victims’ home. The likelihood of DeShon’s DNA being found at the victims’ residence was inevitable.
Bottom line, a “Fake Cop” who abused a child and his mother inside of a government building and a fearless cold-blooded murderer, are exclusively under the protection of Florida’s elected officials. Why?
#FREEDESHONTHOMASNOW
#BLACKLIVESMATTER
#WHOMURDEREDDANMARKEL
#ALLLIVESMATTER
Mothers Against Unethical Laws (MAUL) 