Falsely Accused Forever Branded - Paperback

by Luther D. Stidham (Author)

Suppose you were accused of a crime you did not commit. Now suppose you were denied all available defense and therefore, convicted of this crime and then shipped off to prison where you will spend the next 54 months of your life. Finally, suppose the accusation was proven false, but one judge blocks all of your redemption efforts. Now ask yourself this question, "How far would you go to prove you're innocent." This is the story of a police officer that had been falsely accused of sexual wrongdoings. A true story of corruption, abuse of justice and deception set in Brunswick County, NC. Falsely Accused, Forever Branded, is based on a true story drawn from a dozen interviews and hundreds of pages of documents. It is a gut wrenching story about racism, police brutality and the reality of the orchestrated conviction. It is a hot, humid, Southern summer night. Luther D. "Luke" Stidham, a 36-year-old police officer working the third shift, faces a devastating assortment of accusations carrying with them the possibility of a 40-year prison sentence. Known for his pretty boy hazel eyes, Luke is the ideal candidate for the antics of a devious, self-serving, self-absorbed opportunist. A protector and mentor at heart, Luke feels like a Koi fish in a tank of piranhas. He just does not belong. Luke's mind-numbing experience in a corrupt, small town fishbowl begins when he meets the teen, with her odd attire and almost comical manner of making her way to introduce herself to him. Brandy Lewis, a wannabe prom queen, has a dark side. As the teenaged mistress of maliciousness, she thrives on attention and attempts to portray Luke as her lover. Luke would have nothing to do with that, and warns her many times, "I am a friend and nothing more." But Brandy doesn't take rejection lightly. She vows and schemes to take her vengeance. That's when it happens; Luke becomes a victim in a seductive world of secret revenge. From that moment on, his whole life changes, because from that moment on, there will be no turning back.