Hey Fellas, it's time to show that the indie hip-hop community really exists and is definitely strong enough to help someone in need... and I think that's what Bryan J. Wells better known under the name of Son A Bluntz in the mid-90s is really expecting to... his name may not speak to you but for me this name is legendary !
To make a quick recap and refresh your memory, Son A Bluntz was an emcee from Brooklyn. His moniker came from his rhyme alter ego and love for weed. In 1996 he dropped the track "Don't Snooze" on the excellent Nodyaheadtodis Vol.1 released on Discreet Records. This song produced by Brent "Faraoh" Toussaint definitely became a classic for the indie hip-hop scene through the years.
This track is the only song released officially by Son A Bluntz even if more unreleased material exist... like stuff recorded in the early 90s with his cousin Vern Large (of The Souled Out Bumz) from South Carolina.
Vern Large : "Born in Brooklyn, Bryan is from Bedford Stuyvesant. Then he moved to Crown Heights. He was down with a Crown Heights crews named BMB (Brooklyn's Most Blunted) as well as his hood UAP (Utica Avenue Posse). His mother Cheryl sent him down South to stay because he was wylin' out. That's when he and I started doing music together. We are cousins, went to High School together for a second, everybody knew that I DJ and make beats. When I found out that he could rhyme the way that he did, it was on... that was around 1990-1991."
They recorded maybe 5 or 6 tracks together but Large doesn't have them unfortunately. Bryan had all the recordings before he got locked up...
Bryan is serving a life sentence for murder in the State Correctional Institution at Fayette, Pennsylvania and is still fighting to prove that he is an innocent man...
The following story is told by Bryan J. Wells.
"In 2015 a national study noted 153 people who were on death row, scheduled to be executed. We know now that innocent people have been put to death. Most innocent people like myself without help will suffer from a lethal dose of incarceration until we die. How did I get here?
Just imagine the picture painted that led to my wrongful conviction. Imagine the perjury! The faulty eyewitness identification! Imagine the malicious prosecution! The government’s use of a snitch as a witness! Right now the country is in an uproar. If the police will kill an innocent Black man, will they falsely arrest, accuse and convict us of murders we didn’t commit? Even when they have evidence of who the real killer and killers are? I’ve been living through this nightmare day after day for 25 long years.
Now consider that there is an abundance of evidence if properly investigated could clear me of this crime. Including DNA which we all can pretty much agree with today’s technology is irrefutable! Let me request that, THERE IS DNA EVIDENCE IN MY CASE WHICH CAN PROVE I HAD NOTHING TO WITH THESE CRIME. One the night in question I never laid eyes on the victim!
This is not just my story, this is the truth. I’m a 46 year old and my name is Bryan J.Wells. I’m from Brooklyn, NY and on June 15, 1995 in Harrisburg, PA I was arrested by a group of men at gunpoint. Today’s later on June 17, 1995 at approximately 1:20 in the morning, one of these young men was dragged by two men under a streetlight and executed according to eyewitnesses statements and testimony. The young man that was tragically killed was Sammy Hicks, Jr. he was 14 years old. When this crime took place I was on the other side of town, inside of a bar with my cousin, Matthew Robinson, and a friend, Andre Gale. We were drinking, dancing and taking photographs until the bar announced, “ last call!” Outside the bar we made small talk with a few people. I didn’t know anyone being from New York, but my cousin, Matthew knew several people because he was now a resident of Harrisburg. The one person I knew was a guy named Joey Leaks! He was behind the DJ booth inside the bar, we acknowledged each other. He lived in the same project where the young man was killed. Outside the bar I spoke with a young white woman who was sitting in her car. When I asked what was her name she told me to read her license plate as she pulled off! The license plate read ‘PRIME.’ Matthew, Andre and myself proceeded to get into Andre’s gray Maxima in an attempt to follow me. Prime, she was gone. Unfortunately we were now headed in the direction of the Cameron Street projects. The same projects where two days prior I was assaulted.
The first thing we saw when we got there was police cars, police vans and yellow tape. We had no idea what had taken place, let alone a young man had been shot. We didn’t live there, we were outsiders, but we knew some of the people. Of course we ask, “ what happened?“ A woman named Audrey Evans responded, “ Sammy got shot!” Then a man named Nakia Jeffries aka Pookie approached my cousin Matthew aggressively and said, “ Pu**y, you no what happened, y’all shot my boy!” I immediately jumped in between the two and said, “ we didn’t have shit to do with that, we just came from fab’s!” Everyone crowded around us. My cousin, in poor taste responded to Pookie’s disrespect saying, “ Fuck those ni**as, they all should have got it!” This heated exchange was witnessed by at least 30 people, including the prosecution star witness, Keontay Hodge, and Officer Jeffrey Shiver, Who was the first officer to arrive and secure the crime scene.
From that pivotal moment the finger was pointed in our direction. You have to understand the complication begins and ends with the three of us being from New York City. We literally just walked ourselves out of a bar and into a homicide investigation!
Edna Green was an eyewitness to the shooting. She was the first person to say who else witnessed the shooting. She said of the two people she saw committing this crime one of the shooters was tall and the other was short. This is critical because Matthew, Andre and myself are all approximately the same height. Also critical is the fact that prior to the argument with Nakia Jeffries aka Pookie , no one implicated us. Edna Green told the police three girls witnessed everything. Two of them were 14 years old friends of the victim, Keontay Hodge and Virginia Garcia. The third was an 18-year-old woman named Simone Brooks. This is important because I found it odd that I have never seen a statement from Miss Brooks and she did not testify at trial. Why? Wouldn’t her testimony be just as reliable if not more credible considering her age?
Keontay Hodge was the star witness! Her statement and child testimony contradicted:
(1) The police (the officer who Secure the crime scene)
(2) The lead detective (in regards to her failure to identify Matthew Robinson and Andre Gale)
(3)The coroner and pathologist;
(4)The firearm expert and ballistics specialist!
So what does that mean? Hodge's initial statement to the police is that the People she allegedly saw committed this crime where Jay black and Ted! She said Jay did the shooting, then he and black ran and met up with Ted! I am the person she says is Jay. Here is the confusing part. My cousin Matthew Robinson is known as Ted! My cousin Matthew Robinson is also known as black! Even everyone in that community who knows him knows this. Not Keontay Hodge! She did not know any of us! Keontay along with several other witnesses say they saw two people drag the victim under his arm and under a streetlight, where he’s allegedly shot at Point blank range, and I am the person she allegedly witnessed fire several shots.
The truth is according to the forensic and trial testimony by the pathologist, there was no evidence of close range fire! And according to the firearms expert the victim was shot by two different weapons! Keontay Stated and testified after the victim was shot we allegedly returned to the scene 5 to 10 minutes later and we ended arguing with Nakia Jeffries A.k.a. Pookie! This is important because the first officer to arrive on the scene, officer Jeffrey shivers testified this argument occurred some 40 to 45 minutes after he had secured the crime scene. Therefore there was never no return to the scene! We had a ride there for the first time after leaving the bar. We never laid eyes on the victim! We never saw Sammy Hicks that night!
Remember those 153 men and women, mostly poor black and Hispanic exonerated from death row? A brutal and horrific picture has to be painted to ensure conviction! The same goes for us who have been plain ol’ sentenced to life in prison for murder we have not committed. In my case, after the argument with Pookie was broken up by Officer Jeffrey shivers as he headed our way we got in our car and went to see a female I had met a day prior. Her name is Latasha Walters. Keep in mind, before this argument with Pookie and being accused of murder I was at a bar, drinking with my cousin and a friend. This was June 17, 1995! In two days before that on June 15, 1995 I was assaulted at gunpoint! On the left side of my face was a huge butterfly Band-Aids, which was the result of the assaults ( several people stated I had the butterfly Band-Aids, not Keontay Hodge). Latasha asked me about the Band-Aids and whether or not I was in a fight? Speaking out loud and thinking about Pookie‘s accusations, I said to no one in particular, “ I need an alibi” Latasha Walters asked me, “ do you need me to be your alibi?” I immediately said no, I searched my pockets for my ticket stub because I had been to the movies earlier that night. I never laid eyes on the victim! I had no idea whatsoever as to what time this crime was committed. Latasha and myself were dropped off at the motel.
My cousin, Matthew, went home and was told by his girlfriend, Fatrena Mathis, that detective had been there moments earlier. Looking to question him about a homicide. Matthew called our friend, Andre and told him that he along with his girlfriend was voluntarily going to the police station. Andre called me at the motel and told me he would be doing the same, voluntarily going to the police station. I hung up the phone and fell asleep. Only to be woken by Detective Kevin R. Duffin and other police officers as they busted through the door! Arresting Latasha and myself. At the station they accused, questioned and threatened the four of us in separate rooms for several hours. For no apparent reason detective Duffin kept saying, “ you know I’m going to fu*k you! He repeated this to me. At the time, Andre Gale and myself had no criminal records. After the interrogation and threats, Duffin said he would release me if I agreed to four things:
(1) To have my picture taken to be used as a mug shot
(2) To sign a consent to search and give him all of my clothing for GSR and DNA testing
(3) To take a lie detector. I agreed to everything, however he only took my picture and confiscated My clothing. Matthew, Andre and myself were released, and as we were leaving, we all could see Latasha in a row, handcuffed to a chair, crying! At trial at Tasche was a witness for the prosecution. She testified there were things in her statement that she never said. She pointed at detective Duffin, saying he told her she was going to jail if she didn’t tell them what they wanted to hear. ( of course detective Duffin has a history of this practice) her exact words at trial, “ he kept hounding and hounding me, you know how they do, so I just told them what they wanted to hear!
On June 20, 1995, Duffin and others detectives went to my cousin, Matthews house with the ruse of wanting to return my clothes. Matthew brought them to where I was staying. Remember, I’m from New York and I was in Harrisburg for a total of five days! Even after the initial rest I didn’t fully. Because I never laid eyes on the bed in the night he was killed!
I was arrested and charged with first-degree murder! Once again, my cousin Matthew, and my friend, Andre Gale , Went to the police station voluntarily. I was told by detective Duffin that if I was truly innocent I would give a voluntary statement without a lawyer about my whereabouts on the night in question. To this very day I stand by it. I have been in prison ever cents. 25 years! A quarter century of my life for a crime I did not commit. Remember that picture that has to be painted to convert the innocent? From the day of my arrest the publicity was sensational, inflammatory and slanted towards conviction. Headlines read, “ Teen’s killing Drug-Related!” The murder was also referred to as “ execution style.” On June 21, 1995 then Mayor Stephen R. Reed is quoted having said, “ they wanted to send a message. This was premeditated and intentional murder!
We never laid eyes on the victim! Matthews, Andre and myself were at Fab’s bar When this young man was tragically killed. The following people if properly investigated and called as witnesses could have verified this.
(1) Willie Nelson Jr - he was the photographer who took three Polaroid pics of Matthew, Andre and myself inside of the bar on the dance floor. All of our attorneys had these pics at trial but none introduced them as exploratory evidence. And instead of Duffin interviewing Willie Nelson Jr., according to his notes and police report, he interviewed Willie Nelson Sr. who Duffin claims The father said his son did not take pics that night. If this was the truth why didn’t Duffin interview Nelson jr. Who was the photographer? The detective knew our alibi was solid and he was hell band on it not being established. At least not by him.
(2) Tawana Poteat - she was dancing with Matthew on the night in question. This fact was corroborated by alibi witness Treata Tenant, Who testified that she was a friend of the victim and his family. Tenant stated when she entered Fab’s Bar 1:00 a.m Matthew and Andre were already inside. She said, “ Matthew was dancing with a girl named Tawan Poteat The whole time,” and the reason she remembered was because as she said,“ Matthews girlfriend, Fatrena and Tawana did not get along with each other.”
(3) Joseph Leaks - he was at Fab’s bar the entire time we were there. He’s a friend of the victim and his family. This information is documented. Duffins knows this.
(4) Ann Lawson- is the woman outside of Fab’s Bar with the license plate that read ‘PRIME.” She gave a statement to Duffin. There and she said she did remember having a conversation with me outside of Fab’s as she sat in her car. This is important because Duffin was asked at trial, “ was anything done,” to verify my statement? He answered emphatically, “No!” This is a lie because he clearly takes a statement from this woman!
(5) Pokie Gaston - I had a brief conversation with this young lady outside Fab’s on the night in question. This information is also documented.
(6) Alice Chambers - she testified at trial that she was a friend of the victim and his family! She did not know me personally! She remembered seeing me as well as Matthews and Andre at Fab’s during the time the victim was killed. We never laid eyes on him!
Also according to Duffins Notes and police report, a woman named Teresa Johnson told him she saw two black males with guns in hand get into a two door car after the crime was committed! She never gave a statement that I saw and she never testified at trial. Why not? I guess what she saw didn’t match up with what Detective Duffin, Keontay Hodge and Ted ( don’t forget Black and Ted are the same person who was witnessed dancing with Tawana Poteat the whole time).
Finally, Simone Brooks, according to all eyewitnesses presented by the prosecution was present when this crime occurred. Simone was 18, unlike the other two who were 14. Where is her statement? Why didn't she testify? Is it because she refuses to be a part of what detective Duffin, Edna Greene and Keontay Hodge we’re putting down? Would anyone like to know the truth about Edna Greene? And her role?
My name is Brian J. Wells and I have been wrongfully convicted of a tragic crime I had absolutely no involvement in. I never laid eyes on the victim the night he was murdered! There’s DNA evidence that can help me prove this! For 25 long years, a quarter of a century, I have been robbed of my freedom. I have been robbed by chance to be a father to my son who is now 28 and a grandfather to my granddaughter who is now too. Will you help me in my pursuit to prove my innocence? I thank you in advance may God bless you and keep you.
A sincerely innocent man"
Bryan J. Wells
A Petition dropped by the OMA Black National Committee is now online... you can definitely help him by signing it HERE !! Feel free to spread the word around you ...
And if you're looking for more details about his story, you can check Bryan's interview done by Nkiyah Flanagan.
This is dedicated to Bryan Jermaine Wells, stay strong man !! Mad Props to Vern Large and full support to the OMA Black National Committee
