I had a feeling this day would come when Janet Danahey pleaded guilty to to first-degree murder for the fatal fire she started 10 years ago, which resulted in a life sentence with no parole.
Now we learn she’s seeking clemency from Gov. Bev Perdue. Lots going on here, including the statement from her attorney at the time saying there was no offer of a plea bargain:
Attorney Jim Kimel, who represented Danahey at the time, saw no way around the felony murder rule.
“The way I looked at it, we weren’t going to get instructed on a lesser charge,” Kimel said. “She was charged with first-degree murder and the sentence for that is life without parole. This was the best she was going to do. It’s what I thought and what she thought. It’s one of the hardest days I’ve ever had as a lawyer.”
Kimel hopes the petition succeeds.
“She’s made a good record for herself in prison, and I feel that if anybody is worthy of clemency, it’s Janet Danahey,” Kimel said.
Another factor is the favorable political climate, considering the fact that Perdue is not seeking reelection. Last but not least is the fact that “Greensboro leaders Jim Melvin, Mike Weaver and Doug Galyon were also among 36 people listed on the petition” for clemency. Question — what is it to them whether or not Janet Danahey spends the rest of her life jail for starting a fire that killed four innocent people?
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20
2012 At 10:40 am, jaycee Said:
If she is released from prison she should be taken immediately to a custodial mental health facility.
The woman has serious, serious mental problems.
23
2012 At 12:21 pm, MiMi Said:
The time does NOT fit the crime*****and I say this after reviewing other *accidents* which have occurred over the years….Tolly Carr is one that sticks out and was such a public incident….Tolly was bar hopping and had too much to drink….got behind the wheel of his car and ran over a young man from Winston Salem….I am sure Tolly did not *mean* to do this….but the accident happened….Tolly served his time, 2 years and he got out…..could someone please *explain this to me*….I am an adult and I do not understand this….IT THIS REALLY FAIR AND JUST?????????? I have read several articles which stated that the Guilford County PROSECUTORS could have charged the other 2 young women who were there with JANET when this horrible accident happened….BUT THEY CHOSE NOT TO….REALLY????????? Since when does any PROSECUTOR have a right to DECIDE if one person gets charged and other people who were there at the time of the crime goes SCOTT FREE????????? Again is this FAIR AND JUST?????????? I feel that there is MORE to this STORY than anyone knows or may ever know about….I do NOT know Janet….but I have read a lot about her….my children knew her and said she was NOT A TROUBLE MAKER….but YET she was the ONLY PERSON CHARGED with what took place….the SMOKE DETECTORS WERE NOT WORKING IN THE APARTMENTS and the wind got strong that early morning….WAS JANET ALSO held responsible for these 2 things also???????????? The PROSECUTORS, according to the law, could have charged the other 2 young women also…but *ELECTED* not to do so….there is something that is NOT RIGHT WITH THIS PICTURE….Janet served time for this horrible accident and it is time for her to be released….I am sure that she has and will live with what she has done the rest of her life anyway…..SHE SHOULD BE SET FREE….as the time did NOT FIT THE CRIME….
23
2012 At 5:45 pm, MiMi Said:
*****Question — what is it to them whether or not Janet Danahey spends the rest of her life jail for starting a fire that killed four innocent people?
Perhaps that they too know something was NOT RIGHT with the *plea deal* that allowed the other 2 young women to go scott free while Janet received life in prison without parole….I have no interest either in this….but the fact that the PROSECUTORS could have charged the other 2, but elected not to do so….haunts me….I think there is a lot more to this *story* and what really took place that early morning….who gives the prosecutors a choice in who to charge??????? The evidence was that there were 3 of them together when this horrible accident took place…http://www.change.org/petitions/the-governor-of-nc-grant-clemency-petition-for-janet-danahey
23
2012 At 6:10 pm, MiMi Said:
http://www.change.org/petitions/the-governor-of-nc-grant-clemency-petition-for-janet-danahey?utm_medium=email&utm_source=signature_receipt
23
2012 At 7:58 pm, Jennifer Said:
Mimi- I don’t know which of your statements to address first. I’m sorry that you don’t believe that “the time fits the crime” but in this case it does. 4 people were killed and atleast 6 others were injured in the Campus Walk fire. I believe that Tolly Carr’s sentence was rather light but the way to rectify that is to contact our state representatives and have them get stricter on DUI vehicular manslaughter sentences. There are some differences between Tolly’s case and Janet’s. Besides the number of deaths and injuries, Tolly Carr did not leave the scene of the crime. Janet, on the other hand, was nearly 100 miles away from Greensboro when she was arrested two days after the fire. As for the 2 friends, according to Miss Danahey’s petition for clemency, the girls left the parking lot and drove back to Janet’s apartment before Janet reached Thad’s door. Neither girl poured lighter fluid on anything nor struck a flame. The girls went to the police, they produced the evidence that Janet had discarded in another friend’s dumpster, they offered to testify and they were not given immunity. All evidence seems to point to the fact that these girls cooperated in every possible way. I’m not sure what you think they should have been charged with but the simple fact that they were not charged does not in any way excuse Janet’s actions. I believe state law allows a DA to decide who to bring charges against. (Isn’t that why the Feds had to get involved in the Trayvon Martin case, because the DA wouldn’t charge Zimmerman?) The facts of this case are pretty simple and straightforward. Janet set a fire at an apartment building occupied by at least 14 people at a time when most people are asleep. When the first fire didn’t burn big enough, she poured lighter fluid on a futon and lit it. And she left. I have never heard that the smoke detectors inside the apartments did not work. The fire itself was started in the breezeway where there were no fire detectors. And as for the wind, well, many people think that it was windy enough that night that Janet knew that her “prank” fire was out of control before she left but she did nothing to warn any of the tenants or to even call 911. Janet Danahey plead guilty to her charges and accepted a sentence of life imprisionment at the urging of her sister, per the Washington Post. To most people this isn’t an unreasonable sentence. Janet killed 4 people and at least 6 others were injured either from the fire or by jumping from their windows. The Llewellyn’s are now childless. The Beks left the country. 5 of the 6 parents of the victims are against Janet being released. According to the DA, one of the parents had to contact his office to get Janet’s lawyers to quit harrassing them. Janet Danahey does not deserve clemency. She should honor the deal she made 10 years ago.
26
2012 At 2:19 am, Jeff Said:
Jennifer has said much of what needs to be said. As I am a family member of one of those who died and will never see them again, I have a vested interest in seeing that Janet Danahey serves the sentence in which she requested. Part of the deal was that some evidence would not be made public and the death penalty would be removed from the table if she plead guilty. She had her chance to go to trial and present her side. She knew in her heart what really happened and why that night. I think she still knows and is delusional in her thinking even to this day.
I have been in the Emergency Services (EMS, Fire, as well as Rescue) since 1981 and I am still serving the public in my primary job as a Paramedic. That is over 30 years where I have dealt with innocent victims of tragic crimes. I have pulled burned remains from fire scenes and wrecks. I have walked up to a family member and have delivered the “Bad” news of a loved one’s fate. I have performed CPR on a lifeless child that was ran over by a drunk driver who has 15 previous DWI convictions and is currently awaiting trial on 3 other charges of DWI and driving while revoked. I have held the hand of a mother who lost her only child. I have tried to stop the blood spurting from the body of a 12 year old child that was shot in a drive by and had that child ask me if he was going to die. I held his hand as he did… watching as the life left his eyes. I see these images in my dreams and will take them to my grave. I know how those 4 died and I think of my family member everytime I see a sensless act of violence and will for the rest of my life. Those 4 who died and the others that were burned and maimed are not the only people scared for life by the actions of Janet Danahey. My Fire and EMS brethren who responded that night will carry their own scares from that night too.
There are more scares on those left alive than can be counted. I believe that Janet should stay in prision for the rest of her life or until those that died get to return home….whichever comes first. Trying to place blame on others….shame on them. Trying to take advantage of a political loophole…shame on them. The evidence shows she lit 2 fires that night. It also shows through testimony, including Janets I might add; that she was alone when the flame was struck. Even though the 2 others were with her….they did not run and hide. They reported to officals the facts. They did not lie as Janet did. They were there and reported the dastardly deed and helped authorities. They acted as a resonable person would and did not go home and hide. Then the DA made an informed decision as to who should be charged and who should not.
There are reasons why causing a death while driving drunk is considered different than causing a death by arson or in the commision of a robbery,rape and other stated offenses under the felony death rule. I support this 100% and actually think it should be expanded to include people who drive drunk and unliscensed over and over again until they kill.
Even in the petition now it states that Janet has played tricks and burned property before she ever set this deadly fire. It shows she has never had a respect for the laws of common sense and I doubt that she has changed any at all. A resonable person would accept what they have done and take responsibility for those actions and pay the required price for bad actions they have taken. If she did not learn simple life lessons of right and wrong by the time she was out of college, what should make me think she has learn them now? I think that if allowed to go free she would wind up in more trouble later on and if let go and she causes more death and destruction it would be the fault of society then because we have her where she needs to be now.
I think this whole thing is a ploy by others and they are using Janet as a poster child for something that has nothing to do with what did or did not happen 10 years ago and they are doing it at the exspense of the families of those gone. One father supports this and I think he does so because he is grasping for straws and was pushed over an edge that precludes any rational thought. One parent out of 8…..come on now. How can 2 lawyers and a group of over-achivers bring so much pain and suffering back onto so many with no form of accountablity? What recourse do we family members have to prevent such abuse? When does it end?
26
2012 At 8:15 am, Sam Hieb Said:
Thank you, Jeff, for your comment and for the difficult work you do.
28
2012 At 3:02 pm, Jennifer Said:
Jeff- I’m so sorry for your loss. I am not connected to this case in any way except that I’m a lifelong resident of Rockingham county who has been disgusted by Janet Danahey’s actions over the past 10 years. I have always wondered if she had some mental illness and hoped she would get some help in prison but that doesn’t appear to have happened. I also believe that if she is released she will be in trouble again and I fear that she will continue to harrass the families as she seems to have been doing from behind bars for years.
I know there appears to be a lot of support for clemency for Janet considering the signatures on her clemency petition and the online petition they have started, but I want the families to know that the majority of N Carolinians I’ve talked to do not want Janet released. I am writing a letter to the Governor’s Clemency office stating my views and I am urging anyone else who is against her release to do the same. Letters can be emailed to:
clemency@nc.gov
30
2012 At 11:38 pm, Jeff Said:
The Thanks is from me to you Sam and Jennifer. What was placed in that petition is just a slap in the face of the families and public safety responders as well as prosecutors that are involved. I think Chief Douglas has hit the nail on the head when he says that at worse this petition is not telling the truth. It seems that all I see is MiMi and others like her posting on every blog they can about how Janet was treated unfairly, how unjust the FDR is, and how others were responsible in some way. It escapes me how people could think because of that it should make Janet less culpable in her crime. It really means a lot to me to know that people across this state are writing letters. When a small group makes big noise and tries to play the system….I get mad. People like you who voice opposing opinions and call out things that do not make sense make me proud.
31
2012 At 10:55 pm, MiMi Said:
500 signatures and counting…..https://www.change.org/petitions/the-governor-of-nc-grant-clemency-petition-for-janet-danahey Interesting how everyone has their own opinions about things…..perhaps it is just the Judicial Systems and the laws which have been set up….I think it is sad when a person can go bar hopping and drink himself drunk and then get into an automobile and kill a human being and get less time for this crime than Janet did for nothing but an accident which turned deadly…..the PROSECUTORS said that they could have charged the other 2 young women, under the NC FELONY MURDER LAW….but elected not to do so…REALLY??????? And you think this is FAIR AND JUST????????? Well…I hope that each of you who *think* this way….NEVER EVER do something that you regret and can NOT change it….I do not think Janet nor the other 2 had any intention whatsoever of killing anyone….and the charge should have been manslaughter….there are some good points being brought out and some very bad points brought out…..but when it comes down to it….there is NOTHING that can be done to please everyone…..I think it is sad when attorneys DO NOT DO WHAT THEY ARE PAID TO DO….Janet did not have good legal and lawful representation PERIOD….this could have happened to anyone….Janet admitted her guilt and she did over 10 years for it….IT IS TIME TO LET GO, LET GOD….and I will continue to hope and pray that Governor Perdue will SEEK GOD’S GUIDANCE and do what should be done.
01
2012 At 9:01 pm, Jeff Said:
MiMI, I think it is sad too….I think if you kill while drunk it SHOULD carry the same sentence as what Janet received and if there was someone in the car that LET them drive drunk they should get the same. Remember that Janet had a chance to speak in her defense and stood mute. Never mind the evidence….She admitted to Bob Harris that she in fact did the deed. Open and shut no matter who the lawyer.
Glad you have “Faith” that gives you “Hope” for Janets release. You will have to forgive me because I will fight it tooth and nail….or until my family member comes to our next family reunion…whichever comes first.
Better hope you do not call my house or you will get my 1st Amendment Right of Free Speech. Keep using yours but leave the families affected out of it. Keep getting those signatures from non-voting out of state people.