Smithville man seeks the truth After more than 30 years, Smithville resident Bob Denison and his brother Darrin Burke are searching for the true identity of the man who murdered their father, while at the same time getting the man who was formally accused of the crime, Gary Staples, free and cleared of all charges.
In December of 1969, Mr. Denison's father, Gerald Burke, a cab driver was shot and killed in Hamilton during his evening route.
On April 26, 1970, Mr. Staples was dragged from his home and arrested by police and accused of murdering Mr. Burke for the $40 he was carrying. After being tried and convicted, Mr. Staples was released on an appeal 22 months after being put in prison.
At the time of the murder, Mr. Denison was only two years old and his brother was one year old. Distraught and confused, his mother packued up their belongings and moved out of Hamilton.
Now, over 30 years later, the two sons hafe returned to discover the truth of what really happened to their father.
For years, they were told that the man who had murdered their natural father "got off" and was currently living in Dunnville, but upon further investigation the sons believe that Mr. Staples is innocednt and are pleading that the case be re-opened so that the true murderer can be found.
So far, the brothers have already discovered that previous to Mr. Staples' arrest there was a five month investigation with no evidence linking him to the murder. They also found a report stating that two adult witnesses saw three people with blood and money exit the car at the time of the murder.
"We walked away with a lot more questions than when we came in," said Mr. Denison. "I've met him (Mr. Staples) ... I've seen the police files and he did not do it... and somewhere out there is a guy who thinks he got away with murder."
Publicly supporting Mr. Staples' plea for innocence, the brothers are asking that the case be re-opened and actively pursued.
"There was a lot of evidence back then," said Mr. Denison. "If I were a cop now, I would love to get my hands on this case, because I think it's still a viable case that can be solved."
On the positive side, by following through with their own investigation the two brothers have also discovered a side of their family which had been lost.
"My wife does the family tree thing and she had books and books on her side, but when we came to my side there was only three lines," recalled Mr. Denison. "The best part about this is that we finally got to meet a lot of family we never knew. Now we have pictures of my brother and I with my father and things that we never had before."
To date, Mr. Staples is asking for a formal apology from the Hamilton Police Department and he is suing for $6.1 million. The two brothers are suing for only $1 for negligence.
"Getting him acquitted wasn't our main goal...it was getting the case reopened and finding out what happened," explained Mr. Denison. "We are not out for the money."
For further information on the case to provide your support, visit the case's website at http://go.to/networkforjustice.com
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