◆ SpookStack

cers after being sceantement that Binveived is Pa twelve Ped Mr Lo. WAS MOT? than cone Red Lich! ie |, iceowoman’s tead: “Wiss suspo.t was tikinc her 2 OMr. Tea car, she «Mrs, Johnson, . the she icacd: bin {tse Red Light it) say, ‘Okay, Ed’ (to someone in the Cont)” The repost vontinues, “She staicd ther when ste Was in his ‘Se Dandit’s) she fel tat there was dne in tae” back seat crouching down, thomght she fob so.2c¢0ne Moving here once or twies,” - syle of th stttome ns, which indi. hat two Were olved in the Ashe crime, fey Poss bility was nerer ‘atioved by the putics, Mr. Lea or Amon, Qely Cart Chessman wes noto tinh Vet newhere dees Chees- Susclf vention that Siere might have i Licht bandits, Uf Chessiran Red Licht Bandi, there were int he have 2 He didn’t, eat Mr Lea and th t Z-5 ima exidence Was therefore net “orator of ed Light “lloyd C. : up to my *s testimony #39, Apnosy : from Laorentan’s ah. Nos lat ty Davis, was see through . maake Ae police t she sew : she and onl; two © clan Mimi lee niBed tro Red Light. ge OER, TACe Wittan an hour of the robbery, should contain a fall and ac- Iescription of Caryl Chessman if, mwas the Red Light Bandit. ‘enpting to discover what Mrs. wd Mfr. Loa told the police im. Johnson mediately following the crime, ARGOSY ex- wnined a police bulletin issued at F397 pM. on Jannary 23, 1948, and found in- formation that a compariscn with descrip. tions by the other victims must have been made by cither Mrs, Jehason or Mr. Lea, The bandit’s car was deseribed as having, “four inches beneath’ exch front headlight, at citele parking Nehte 4 police photo ef Chessman’s car shows nu such parking light. Slo, “on body in rear above license holder, there is a plaiv chrome bar with Fonp in center of bar? Che relics photo shows no owre?> bur or insur on Chess. man’s ce. “the Indletin also reports “pos- sible radio, which receives tealive cally with switch underneath dash.” No such radio was found in Chessman’s cir. Yet Regina Johnson aud Jarnigan Lea positively identified this same car as the var belongine to the Red Light Banclit. Mrs. Johnson admitted at the prelimi- nary hearing that when she had been sum: Revee to the police station to identify Chessman as the Red Light Bandit, it her companies, My Lea, and not she, who had first pointed Chessman out as her a. tacker, She testified » Lea, pointing 2 Chessarsn, Was aid, “There is the man who alse tes: led that mo romdig pre boat Nes te, vet die Dito acntien (lat bee ad Mie ta deat tots . Coa ma , Postashed ts eds prebs: p Woo asked if = contd identity seme os the man woe robbed iin, stone testifir. . “Well, due to the face that he wore a aandkerchie® over his face, 3 cunt De certain.” The prednimuy- hearin iedge ruled that this identifeation was net pusitve enovgh to warrant an indictment on this cherze, and suggested the prose- 2™> a sce additional . lentificaton, Somehow, wtnout producing any addin honed) identifie tion, Carz? Chessman ras ia ieted, ier and copvictud oon this harse, Gatne the sene ted than tee cnirge, Curing the swae te Chak pe wy convicted and sentenced to death, 3. Phe f° and perk 3 anest tm: aor- sam, iduntificativn of Chesonan as the Red Fight Band" was made by Mary Alice “ezeand “> enpanion, Frank Flat art Mo. Ber nearhus if vart, asked at the preliminary & good look at the Red mo. i was dark Rerchief aver his face.” re analyzing Miss M . shonkd be stated that ste, More than ae OF the Be? Liche Bandit, cause of te dous anti. among t.- police, tie newspapers ind the gon. Das been the Men iy presecutios, eral pubtic, Miss Mev: 'g attackce., eutte Hospita: vaventeen nit: time of In. as cormmit: - to Camaril. as Ament: lent twenty has beer ~eonths after her ottack, “Me over cts m of Miss “rangement Stacker] hy the cont. chet Marys resale of Doin ry's mecher was convinced ehter would get voll when Ches, 4 precutec, although no psy- chiatr: hi reed with this contention, In addition; a storm of controversy has centered on Mary’s mental condition prior to her being attacked >y the Red Light Bandit, some psychi itnists clainirg that the girl was mentally i? at the time, others claiming she was not. Rational or irration- al, it was Mary Meza’s testimony that helped to convict Cary} Chessman and he went to the gas chamber -m that testimony, Lot us evemine a police broadeast fseured at 5:24 aan, on the momeng of Jinasry 22, 1948. Made up from Mary's description of Chessman, My that Jur da - the Red Light Bandit, it describes her at. ticker as “duirtyfive ves of age, five feet tem, medium build, seertiy con lanion, cleaneshaven, very sHeht Recent” and “driving a LOG Ford xcdan, dark, with red spotlight on right side of vehicle,” M iss Meza testified that she couldn’t de- t ‘ig serie her attacker in mer. detail heeause “he was masked 21 the time.” How- ever, she was in the car hefonging to the Red Light Bandit for mor thay tea Sowra, and a comparison of he: or Pactte to the police with plervzraphs of Chess- man’s car proves centradictors. even though she posPively id -vifed Ch - tans eat as the car she was iu. Chessanin’s cur WH sorte was light-colored. not cork. a feb. net eocdan, on Hae spe Nuts per fly on Che 4 ey het thie hs Moths sats Praie tie . fg ‘oath? or paateal act. Toe Covers A fom deep or Ar ft was ea cel compe, When asked by the Cone EW she cant ob. served a spotlight, Mary reched, “L wasn't very observant, I didn’t 5..> any spotlehit,”? Even graver doubts as *a the wally of Mary Meza’s identification of Chessiuan’s car as being the same cor inow she was held ceptive ocenn -4 exam ation of the testimony wherein <3. Cescribes treo circular, Deomingted hi oy board of tee car in ws attacked. Jn remonse . will show you Exhibis* you if this x a far yer: : instrument panel YOu sv \Oery Aleza testified: “Yes, that hooks oi-nler -o st. Yes, tT would say that would tC. dbit showed Fach of Che Soar as it was photographed by th poiles, This is the dash that Mary Alice Meza avg: she saw in the Red Light a : Yet we have in hand ceipts proving that th. Caryl Cheseman’s car—t Mary Meza. had, positiy longing to the Hed Licht removed frov his cart crine and was sot retus erime hed heen commits: ne Serta wt Fash. Reason, Ud ix and ask eNtN a ati wale TO. win we car that néifed as be. Pie sap? nd—hidl been > oy Defcre the Andi ater the This stetoment ig 5 v festi. mony: of the mechanic af Mea jas car heen she gould “AGE 6 gr Meza had seen a <need: zu which she was attacke not have been ‘rn Can] Ob she nas claimed she v 2s Miss Me testim mm tober doubt as tu Chessmea’ 7” as tke Koralit She ra : , . SRAM SD UI Ie creed