Caged Bird

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By Dave Racer, MLitt with a foreword by Kenneth P. Kothe

Caged Bird chronicles one of the most intense murder investigations and convictions in the history of Kansas. The state convicted the Rev. Thomas P. Bird of trying to hire someone to kill his church secretary’s husband, and then convicted him of the murder of his own wife. Both of these convictions, based on facts uncovered in a month’s long investigation, were wrongful. Kansas convicted an innocent man, but held him in prison for nearly 20 years.

But Kansas hadn’t finished with its attempt to put him away for life. The state also charged him with the murder of Martin Anderson, a member of his Emporia Kansas church, and wife of the church secretary, Lorna Anderson. Investigators uncovered more than 60 men who confesses to sexual relations with Lorna, and she believed that by having her husband murdered, it would clear the way for her to marry the widower, Rev. Bird. When Lorna’s plan backfired and police accused her of murder, she pointed the finger at Rev. Bird even as he sat in prison fighting for vindication of his earlier convictions.

When Kansas tried Rev. Bird for the murder of Martin Anderson, however, it conducted a fair trial and the jury vindicated him. Immediately, folks thought he’d be freed from prison and perhaps his earlier convictions would be overturned. Instead, the state held him for another 14 years before paroling him in 2004.

Dave Racer, the author, presents the details of the case so you can make your own decision. Racer found no evidence of criminality – wrongful conviction of an innocent man, spending 20 years behind bars.