Kaine Pardons "Norfolk Four;" Victim's Family Reacts Angrily

From Governor Kaine's office:

Governor Timothy M. Kaine today released the following statement in response to the clemency petitions of Danial Williams, Derek Tice, Joseph Dick and Eric Wilson:

“Four ex-sailors who served together in Norfolk during the late 1990’s have petitioned for Absolute Pardons, exonerating them from culpability in the rape and murder of Michelle Bosko; three of the four confessed and were convicted of both crimes and one confessed and was convicted of raping Mrs. Bosko. The individuals (collectively “the Petitioners”) claim that their confessions were false and that the true perpetrator, Omar Ballard, has been convicted of the crime and sentenced to life imprisonment. For the reasons stated below, I conclude that the Petitioners have not conclusively established their innocence and therefore that an Absolute Pardon is not appropriate. However, I conclude that the Petitioners have raised substantial doubts about their convictions and the propriety of their continued detention. I therefore grant Conditional Pardons to Danial Williams, Derek Tice and Joseph Dick, the three Petitioners who remain incarcerated.

“The effect of these Conditional Pardons is to reduce the sentences of the Petitioners to time served. The Petitioners must meet specific behavioral conditions and remain subject to supervision by the Parole Board for a specific period of time after their release. These Conditional Pardons are not a conclusive finding of innocence but rather a reduction of sentences based on the analysis set forth below.

I will copy the analysis into the comments section below. In addition, here is part of the victim's family's (angry) reaction:

In today's statement, the [Moore-Bosko family] said: "We do not believe it is a coincidence that Governor Kaine granted these pardons just a few weeks after the announcement that John Grisham intends to write a screenplay about this case. Stories about rapists and murderers who confess, then spend the rest of their lives in prison, do not make interesting movies."

Honestly, I'm not sure what to think at this point. On the one hand, I find it extremely hard to believe that John Grisham's screenplay had anything to do with Gov. Kaine's decision. On the other hand, I can certainly understand why the family is angry. For more on this case, click here.