Deadhead Murders Called Into Question

As if we needed more evidence that the Grateful Dead's dream of a more civil, loving society was forgotten well before the band, SF Gate is reporting that a federal judge has reopened the case of a man convicted of murdering two homeless Deadheads in 1985. According to the report, lawyers for the defendant, Ralph International Thomas, did not do their due diligence in identifying and presenting witnesses with differing, potentially revelatory accounts of the incident. This comes in the wake of a 2006 ruling that while his lawyers acted incompetently, they couldn't have presented anyone with such an account.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, maintain that it remains a fairly straightforward case. For his part, the 55-year-old Thomas has begun to dip into dementia. Sad times all around... but at least we still have Jerry's words of love and wisdom....