Shattered Dreams

Maryland Exoneree The Leslie Vass Story

February 15th, 1975, at the youthful age  of 17 I  walked to the Westport Pharmacy to purchase the daily Newspaper for my Mom's, a trip that I usually did  routinely. Never did I know this routine trip would have the devastating impact upon my life for the next 10 years. After making the purchase and exiting the store, I was approached by an Officer of the Baltimore Police Department and informed that I was under arrest for robbing the drug store I had just made the purchase from. At 17 years old being this was the first direct encounter with any Police Officer, I was terrified and confused about being arrested for something I knew I had not done.  The confusion continued during the processing  until the cell door slammed shut. A sound I will Never Forget.

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July 2nd, 1975, trial was held in the then Supreme Bench for Baltimore City, where I was found guilty of robbing a part time delivery driver for the Westport Pharmacy when he was making a delivery in the Cherry Hill project November 2nd, 1974 and sentenced to a total prison term of 20 years, which I found totally unbelievable, being convicted of a Robbery that happened 4 months prior to my arrest.

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My dreams, expectations and aspirations of  completing high school, graduating, attending college and furthering a possible childhood dream of playing in the NBA...

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At Southern High School located in Baltimore Maryland, my coach Mr. Mel Washington, was instrumental in my development in my educational and  

basketball growth, he would advise me how to think beyond the sports ability I had as a player, and to start preparing for the next level, which is how I had the opportunity to be voted several "Player of he Week" awards by the News American newspaper and eventually our team, the Baltimore Southern Bulldogs won the Citywide Division Championship to play at the Baltimore Civic Center just prior to my wrongful conviction and sentencing.