Ryan Holle from Florida has been a model citizen his entire life. He has never had a run-in with the law, has a clean arrest record, and yet he is in prison for life without any chance of parole for pre-meditated murder. At the time of the alleged crime Holle was at home sleeping in bed. Thanks to our justice system and the Felony Murder Rule, Holle is in prison for life even though he technically had nothing to do with what happened that night. There are only three US states that no longer recognize this rule.
One night after a party Holle lent his car to his roommate, which he had done numerous times before. He went to sleep once his roommate left. The roommate went to a house where a woman was selling pot. The dealer’s daughter was killed that night.
Everyone that at the scene was punished for the murder. Ryan was also arrested for being a part in the murder even though he was at home sound asleep. The Felony Murder Rule dictates that anyone who has any part in a felony murder case is punished whether they were involved directly or not. The moment that Holle handed the keys to his roommate he became an unknowing part in murder.
At first, Holle had been offered a plea deal of ten years in prison. He declined the plea as he didn’t feel that he had done anything wrong and wanted to go to trial. At the trial the convicted him and sentenced him to life in prison.
He is serving his 11th year at this point. Prisoner advocate Charles Grodin said that this was the first time that they had ever seen someone sentenced to this much time in prison for loaning a car. Grodin spoke with the parents of the girl who was murdered and the father said that Holle’s sentence was completely warranted. The mother served three years in prison for the sale of drugs.
Ryan was denied clemency for his case. He writes to Grodin and said that when he gets out of prison he is going to speak up against the Felony Murder Rule. Unfortunately unless something can be brought to the public Holle will most likely die in prison for a crime he never committed.
(via The 360 Experiment)
