WWII hero poisoned to death: murder being covered up by corrupted politicians.
On May 10th, 1982 my sister, Virginia, and I reported to Detective George Vallrath of the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department in St. Joseph, Mi. that we suspected our father had been murdered by means of arsenic poisoning. I also explained to him that I was suspicious about three other deaths and feared there may have been others poisoned prior to my father’s death. I was hoping the burden of this horrific nightmare would be taken off my hands, after all we were reporting this to the authorities, but I might as well have been talking to the wall. The detective proceeded to tell us “things like that didn’t happen around here, it only happens in big cities”.
I had found suspicious articles burned in my father’s trash barrel and turned them over to the dept. that day. But the tests performed were for strychnine and not arsenic even though a bottle of Fatsco ant poisoning (made with arsenic) was among the items found in the trash. The entire conversation was recorded (noted in police report). Therefore, no mistake should have occurred.
We began several legal battles in 1982 hoping it would lead to an exhumation of our father’s body for an autopsy. We were met with opposition from every angle including the prosecuting attorney Paul Maloney and our step mother. After four years and no progress, we had grown mentally, emotionally and financially exhausted and were unable to continue. Yet, I vowed to proceed when I was strong again.
In October of 2001, I returned, telling the same story to Jim Cherry, the present prosecuting attorney. He stood at his desk and vowed to have my father’s body exhumed for an autopsy. At one point, thinking out loud he said, “Who was the prosecuting attorney in 1982? Oh yes”, he affirmed “It was Paul Maloney”.
Several weeks later he had changed his mind completely. In fact, he joined Paul Maloney’s stand against our pursuit for the truth. Mr. Maloney is now Chief Judge of Berrien County, and is currently on a short list for a federal Judgeship.
After Jim Cherry made his decision to stand against our pursuit to find the truth, I also made my stand by placing the
following article in the Herald Palladium in St Joseph, Michigan, on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2001.This was a plea to the county officials and also a public declaration stating the time has come for the truth to be revealed.
Brence Jackson enlisted in the US Army in 1940 and continued to serve throughout WWII. (Link to us army pics) He served 18 months overseas with the 5th Army, in the 349th regiment of the 88th infantry division also known as “The Blue Devils”. He was trained as a machine gunnist. He served as a squad leader, section leader and a platoon sergeant as he led as many as 56 men throughout WWII. He was a highly decorated soldier with three battles stars, The European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, the American Defense Service Ribbon, a Good Conduct Ribbon, three overseas Service Bars, and the Silver Star Medal awarded for “Gallantry in Action”. He was one of 50 chosen war heroes to accompany General Mark Clark to the U.S. and to March in the Memorial Day parade in Chicago, IL. On May 30th, 1945. This man was a hero in every sense of the word. This man fought for freedom and justice for all. This man was my father who can no longer speak for himself, but he has a story to tell and can speak to you from the grave. So therefore, I plead with the officials of Berrien County.
LET MY FATHER SPEAK BECAUSE THE TIME HAS COME FOR THAT WHICH WAS DONE IN SECRET TO BE SHOUTED FROM THE ROOFTOPS, AND FOR MY FATHER TO HAVE THE JUSTICE THAT HE DEARLY FOUGHT FOR AND HAS FULLY DESERVED FOR SO LONG.
Cheryl Jackson-Brown
My family and I began the legal process of exhuming our father’s body to discover the cause of his death. As the next of kin we only needed a permit from the county to accomplish this, but they refused to issue one. We were left with no choice but to file a case against the County for the right to exhume our father’s body. Dr. Robert Clark was named as the defendant because he is the county medical examiner and his signature was needed on the permit. Two years later we still had not appeared before a judge. Instead, the case was stalled and passed from one judge to the next, finally being transferred to Kalamazoo County where a mediation panel recommended the body be exhumed. At that time, Berrien County came forward by drawing up a stipulation (link to stipulation) which suggested they were acting in good faith, so we thought. Although it stated a third party (The State Police) would handle the matter, the county manipulated and controlled the entire process. In fact, the signature of the defendant, Dr. Robert Clark, appears on the autopsy report as the medical examiner.
On September 20th, the prosecuting attorney attempted to close the investigation and faxed me a copy of the autopsy report concluding the death to be of natural causes. I noticed they had not performed the stipulated test to discover arsenic. I then contacted Dr. Steven Cohle by phone and faxed a letter via my attorney to the prosecutor to advise they not close the investigation until the stipulated tests are performed. (Link to motion to compel part 5). Therefore the investigation remained open and in October Mayo Clinic performed sequential hair analysis in three segments revealing toxic levels of arsenic, lead and mercury. Supposedly, to confirm the findings, Berrien County also sent for tests at Medical Laboratory Services. Although they had already discovered toxic levels of three heavy metals, they tested for arsenic alone, and this time performed only two segments.
Hair grows approximately ½” per month. When heavy metals are ingested they become bound by protein to the hair follicle. Since the length of my father’s hair was 3 inches, tests would reveal any heavy metals ingested over the six month period prior to his death. (Link to photos of last 6 months) The Mayo Clinic tests revealed approximately three, 60 day spans of time, the Medical Laboratory services revealed two, 90 day spans of time. The fewer segments, the more diluted the readings. Both Lab reports for sequential hair analysis were disregarded by Jim Cherry and Dr. Robert Clark and are not included in the autopsy report. The stipulation states these tests are to be included. . The manner, in which these tests were conducted, and the fact they were not included in the autopsy report, strongly suggests the truth is being concealed.
After Berrien County admitted in court documents that two laboratories confirmed relatively high amounts of heavy metal poisons in hair samples, reporter Scott Knoll from WWMT CBS news in Kalamazoo, MI. contacted Jim Cherry who asked Scott to hold off the report until he could make a press release sometime the next week. However WWMT released the report on the evening news on March 2, 2006 . Jim Cherry released his report early the next morning on March 3, 2006 claiming once again the death to be of natural causes. (Link to press release). He stated that “Dr. Steven Cohle and clinical toxicologists claim that the repository that most accurately reflects a Person’s level of arsenic intoxication is the nails”. However the experts I contacted disagree with That statement, because it is difficult to get an accurate reading on nails, instead they agree that; Sequential hair analysis is the definitive test for discovering heavy metals and is recognized as the standard by toxicologists and courts of law all over the world.
I spoke with Dr. Eisenga, the clinical toxicologist, who was among those who attended a meeting on January 12, 2006 to discuss the test results. He told me that my father’s medical records were not discussed at the meeting. He also said he did not know why two men from Berrien County attended the meeting, but he was not comfortable about it. (Speaking of Dr. Robert Clark and Jim Cherry). I told him this presented a conflict of interest because these men are defendants in our suit and were not supposed to be involved in this matter. Therefore I would seek an independent opinion of the autopsy, toxicology and medical reports. He said he welcomed the idea and would also like to review the report, because he was “only a clinical toxicologist”, and he, nor the others at the meeting had any experience with a situation such as this.
After receiving the expert opinion of Dr. Matthias Okoye, Director of the Nebraska Institute of Forensic Sciences, I faxed the report to Dr. Eisenga. He stated he had informed Dr. Steven Cohle (the pathologist who signed the autopsy report ). According to Dr. Eisenga, Dr Steven Cohle was going to take care of the matter by contacting Dr. Okoye himself; however the last I heard Dr. Okoye had not received the call.
Judge Lamb of Kalamazoo County closed the case on May 3rd, 2006, stating He could not accept the Opinion of Dr. Matthias Okoye because the stipulation (drawn up by Berrien County) did not allow for any other autopsy report except the one they already had.
When the tests that were performed, brought truth to the light, they were disregarded and the truth was denied. What an injustice this is. It is an abomination to our justice system and to everything this country stands for. My father has been denied the justice he so bravely fought to give us. How is it that we are fighting the justice system in order to find justice? What a mockery this is. The expert opinion of Dr. Okoye clearly states my father died from arsenic poisoning just as I reported to the county officials in 1982 after I discovered what had happened to my father. I believe that because the Berrien County officials turned a deaf ear to our cry for help, it is very likely the crime was repeated. In my studies I have learned that once someone crosses the line and murders another human by poisoning they seldom stop unless they are caught.
The truth must be revealed and those who have hidden it must be fully exposed. Those in the office of upholding the law are not above it. If they betray the trust of the people for which they were placed in office to protect they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. To those whom much is given, much is required.
The following letter was placed in the Herald Palladium on 3/7/06
Corruption in Jackson case will be exposed.
Dear Editor, Berrien County prosecutor Jim Cherry can close his investigation, but he has no authority to close the case. It is under the jurisdiction of Judge Lamb in Kalamazoo County. Thank God! Berrien County is under a legal agreement to turn this matter over to the Michigan Attorney General’s office. In closing the investigation, officials think they have once again swept this horrific crime committed
against my father under the rug. Instead, the truth will come to light, and every form of corruption connected to it will be exposed. You can count on it.
My father was a man of dignity and honor, always teaching by example. When he gave his word you could count on it. He was a man of integrity and a pillar of strength to his children. He gave guidance when needed and was there to lend a helping hand. He knew that his children would one day face the trials and tribulations of life and prepared us by making sure we received the teachings of Gods word, so we would be equipped to choose, to walk by faith, when the dark hours of life came. We will be eternally grateful to him for this.
Pledge of my faith:
I returned to Berrien County in 2001 on a
mission to expose the truth of my father’s death, only after receiving the guidance and support of Heaven itself. Therefore, I am fully persuaded that “The truth shall be Revealed” and every crime connected to my father’s death, will be exposed. For this I thank my God.
My siblings and I stand together and plead for justice for our father Brence Jackson, who was an outstanding citizen as well as a WWII hero.
Please join us by contacting,
