Caril Fugate’s lawyer speaks out
By: Jenn Schanz
jschanz@klkntv.com
It’s the chilling tale of a spree killing in the Heartland; a cold blooded murderer and his child accomplice.
The story of Charles Starkweather and Caril Fugate has been depicted many times on screen, but decades after it all happened, the woman who lived it, still says her role is fiction.
“There is a deep human need to have your name cleared,” says John Stevens Berry, Fugate’s attorney.
In 1958, at just 14, Caril Fugate was sentenced to life in prison for her involvement in several killings that started in L
Of the 11 victims, 3 were Fugate’s family members.
Charles Starkweather, her boyfriend, was executed, but Fugate was released after 17 years behind bars.
Berry, who co–authored a book claiming Fugate’s innocence, says for the second time, she will seek a pardon.
If granted, it basically means the state officially forgives her of the crime.
“She was a model prisoner, she got out, she was paroled, she completed her parole. I think she’s entitled now, to get that pardon, or at least have a hearing,” Berry says.
Fugate first sought a pardon in 1996, but the board voted 2-0 to deny a hearing.
Now, Berry says he’ll fight to make sure she gets it.
He says as a minor, Fugate wasn’t given certain rights that today, would have been granted to her.
“Today, the first thing people would say to her would be ‘Oh you must realize you’ve done nothing wrong, you’re a victim.’ But in those days they wanted her and they wanted her bad,” he says.
While Starkweather testified that Fugate was a willing participant, Berry feels the notoriety of the case branded her a Lolita, when in fact he thinks she was a hostage.
