Thaindian News

By Madhuri Dey
Sep 18, (THAINDIAN NEWS) On Friday night, ABC11 kept in front of its viewers the 25 year old murder case of the Timothy Hennis through its popular investigative show “20/20″. During the period of an hour, the ABC not only revisited the case that brought death penalty for Timothy Hennis this April but also kept in front the story of the sole survivor of the tragedy, Jana Eastburn, who was then just a 21-months-old kid. It was the interview of Jana Eastburn, who spoke out how her life and her family’s life has changed once and for ever by the fatal Fayetteville murder 25 years ago, and how she had felt when she saw the prime suspect of the murder, Timothy Hennis, roaming free until earlier this year.

The trial of Timothy Hennis for the triple murder case is among one such that points to the lapses prevailing in the legal system of United States. Timothy Hennis was convicted of murder by North Carolina Supreme Court back in 1986, a year after he committed the crime. However, he was freed of the charges in 1989 by a civilian jury. The Eastburn family did not give up hope and since Timothy Hennis could no more be pursued at the civil court, he was charged by the military.

However, for the next 21 years the legal system failed to gather evidences against the criminal. It was only after a group of students at Wake Tech college came across the case and found some revealing information that Timothy Hennis was put on death a death row and convicted. If the case of Timothy Hennis revealed the legal lapses on one hand, then on the other hand it also chronicled the odyssey of Eastburn family, especially of Jana Eastburn. The lady maintained that Timothy Hennis has deprived her of her rightful share of her mother’s love and memory.