Would you lie to save your life?

Would you lie to avoid spending the rest of your life in prison?

Do I lie or risk going to prison for the rest of my life?

That is the question that Shawn Schweitzer faced in the spring of 2000.

A little background:

Dana Ireland, 23, was kidnapped, raped and murdered on the Big Island of Hawai’i, December 24, 1991. Eight years later, in 1999, three Puna men were charged with the shocking crime; they were Frank Pauline, Jr., and two brothers, Albert Ian Schweitzer and Shawn Schweitzer.

August 27, 1999. Frank Pauline, Jr., was found guilty by a Hilo, Hawai’i, jury of the horrific crime. He was sentenced to three life terms in prison, a minimum of 180 years. The key evidence was a blue T-shirt, soaked in Dana’s blood, found next to her dying body. Three witnesses testified that the T-shirt belonged to Frank Pauline.

February 15, 2000. Albert Ian Schweitzer was also found guilty by a Hilo jury of kidnapping, sexual assault and second degree murder. Again the key evidence was the bloody T-shirt. Three witnesses told Ian’s jury that the blue T-shirt belonged to Frank Pauline. Albert Ian Schweitzer was sentenced to three life terms, a minimum of 130 years in prison.

April 18, 2000. Shawn Schweitzer walked out of a jail a free man. The prosecution announced that there was a plea deal. In exchange for a sentence of time-served (16 months), Shawn would confess to the crime and plead guilty to Kidnapping and Manslaughter.

Shawn Schweitzer lied. He lied to avoid a life in prison. His confession was false.

For information on this case please watch “Who Killed Dana Ireland?” at

www.judgesforjustice.org.

Judges for Justice does not intend to criticize any of the participants in this case – past or present. Error happens; when recognized it is progress toward truth. It is never too late for justice.

This is the 16 ^th email from Judges for Justice. Stay tuned for the 17 ^th email; subject will be, “Prosecutor Press Release – ‘… full confession … passed a lie detector.”

Sincerely,

Judge Michael Heavey (Ret.)

‌

“No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.”

Edmund Burke