News.Scotland.Org

Edinburgh, Sept 29: After two decade long legal battle filled with uncertainty Eileen, mother of two prisoners in America revealed an astonishing twist in the developments. She expressed her hope that both her sons will return home in Edinburgh within few months. Having both her sons home would be an incredible development in the two-decades filled with ambiguity, which saw both boys quit the city for a new life with their American father that later end up in both being jailed within short span of time.

Eileen tells that Kenny, her elder son’s dream of being released on bail will become a reality as the family succeed in producing a $100000 bail bond. Earlier this month, Kenny moved to an open prison after 21 years protesting his innocence on Death Row. His younger brother Tom is convicted for murdering a shopkeeper has already served a third of his 65 year sentence. Both the brothers have promised to rebuild their lives in the Edinburgh.

While commenting on the legal battle the mother said: “Tom’s case is more complicated than Kenny’s. He has been fighting for a long time but he is definitely getting out in a few months. He has served his sentence, he’ll be free soon. And he wants to come back home.”

Long sentences are being slashed as part of the legal reforms implemented in the United States, opening the door for Tom’s early release from Clallam Bay Corrections Centre in Washington State. When he reaches Edinburgh to stay with his mother, he will be seeing his mother after a long wait of more than 20 years.

In Ohio, Kenny is now adjusting to live in an open prison after two decades of imprisonment under maximum security. Sent there after being convicted of starting a fire in a block of flats, this took the life of a two year old girl. Even after several investigations he continued to proclaim his innocence. His case took a dramatic shift when an appeal court recently upheld the 2005 decision to overturn his conviction, ordering he be freed or face a new trial.

“If they don’t go ahead with the retrial within 90 days, then Kenny will be released, We’d all rather there was a retrial - Kenny has always said he is innocent and we’d all prefer it if he walked free having been declared not guilty. If it’s the same verdict as before,” she adds, “he’d go back to Death Row and I don’t know what I’d do then.” said Eileen, in an excited manner.

She further added that: “Kenny is very excited about coming back. He keeps asking about places he remembers. He was asking about the Palais de Danse, his granddad’s old work, Joseph Mann’s the lorry firm, and the Baberton Hotel where his mates used to go for a drink”.

It all mean that Eileen’s small flat would change into a lively family home once again with Tom, Kenny, his American wife Wendy and, perhaps, even the couple’s 21-year-old son Sean and his two young children all expecting a warm get together after a long legal battle filled with uncertainties.

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