"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. " Martin Luther King, Jr.
When a former inmate in Florida petitioned to have his probation transferred to my state, the petition was denied because he had no family here. This inmate had been a witness in the Nelson Serrano mass murder trial and was in grave danger out on the streets due to his testimony. There was only one way we could arrange for Leslie Todd Jones to have family in my state. We would have to get married. Was I willing to go to that extreme to help a man I had never met?
Todd was released from jail but the judge had ordered he serve four years probation. In order to come to my home in another state and get the help I felt he needed, he would have to file an Interstate Transfer, a clause in the correctional programs that allows probationers to transfer their supervision from one state to another. Evidently there was a clause within the clause. Todd would have to have family in the state to which he transferred. It was an urgent situation because Todd, the prosecutor, as well as the Special Agent with the FDLE, were rumored within the jail system to have contracts placed on them by Serrano.
Todd and I had become quite close after writing letters to each other over the previous three months. To say that I knew him well was an understatement. We knew each other in ways most couples could only dream. Recently, I had faced the reality that I was in love with him and that our relationship was destined to be. So when Todd called me one evening to let me know the Florida Department of Corrections Probation Department had denied his petition for the transfer, there wasn't much discussion as to what we had to do. I put in for time off from work and began saving for an airline ticket. At the same time I was supporting Todd in Florida because he had been unable to find work. With time scarce and money in short supply, I went down to my bank and took out a third loan. I had excellent credit at that time and was counting on the fact that Todd would be home and working and could help me pay everything back.
The next obstacle I'd have to overcome was Florida's three day waiting period for marriage licenses. My employer only gave me the weekend plus two days off. I telephoned the FDLE agent who was Todd's handler and he said he knew a few judges and would see what he could do about getting the waiting period waived. I packed my birth certificate along with a few clothes for myself and for Todd.
The last weekend of January, 2007, my flight landed in Tampa around 11:30 at night. Because I had never been to Florida, I had no idea where I was or how I would manage to find Lakeland. It was cold, pitch dark and raining heavy. Not what I expected from all the sunny Florida postcards I had seen. I made my way to the Hertz rental counter and questioned the clerk about how to get to Lakeland. He drew me a map and handed me a set of keys. I loaded my luggage in the trunk and was on my way. Todd and I spoke on our cell phones all the way down I-4 and he directed me to exit Memorial Blvd and head south. It was hard to see my way in the pounding rain until I came upon an accident scene with the flashing blue lights from police cars. Still on the cell phone with Todd, I told him I was stuck behind an accident. He asked me to flash my lights bright and dim and when I did, he screamed with elation, "I'm on the other side of that accident!" Good ole Lakeland Police Department had shone the light in the dark and lit my path to Todd. I navigated around the scene and my headlights shone on a man standing in the rain in the middle of the road, waving his arms. I stopped, unlocked the door to the passenger side and he jumped in. "Wow, you're beautiful" was the very first thing he said to me. I answered, "I just hope your name is Todd Jones", thinking of the possibility that I may have picked up the wrong guy in the middle of the night. I pulled the car over and we shared our first embrace.
We drove to a Winn-Dixie grocery store there on Memorial and grabbed a cart. I know the clerks must remember us because we ran through the store like two children, grabbing all kinds of candy and junk food. Things Todd hadn't been able to get in jail. Mini Snickers and Milky Ways, squirt cheese, snack crackers, bagels, cream cheese, yogurts, flavored water and sodas. Stopping ever so often for a kiss in the aisles, laughing and giggling.
We took the groceries back to room number 13 at the Lake View Inn. It wasn't like any hotel room I had ever seen. No carpeting, a ratty old sofa and just a full size bed without a headboard. On the bed was one little flat pillow and a well worn blanket. Todd had spent the day scouring the place, making it as comfortable as possible for me. For security, he had meticulously taped each vertical blind shut with scotch tape. We spent the entire weekend in that tiny room and didn't set foot outside the door until the following Monday morning and by that time, we knew we were deeply in love. We headed off to meet the Special Agent with the FDLE at the Bartow courthouse.
The courthouse is a huge building and looks a little out of place in such a small town as Bartow, Florida. I remember the reporter from New York had said the same thing. Constantly bustling with activity, I'm sure half the town's population works there. We made it though their sophisticated security system and found our way to the clerk's office. As it turned out, we wouldn't need to wait for a license anyway. Because I lived out of town and Todd basically didn't have a home address, we were able to get married right then and there. We were directed in to a small room on the side and we were met by a young girl who looked young enough to be my daughter. Her name was Yessenia Perez and if any of you know her, tell her I said thank you because she administered the most beautiful wedding ceremony I've ever heard. So beautiful in fact, that I asked her for a copy of our vows to keep forever.
After the ceremony, we headed upstairs to the Polk County State's Attorney's office where we ran into the agent with the FDLE and his sidekick, a Bartow police officer. There was a lot of hand shaking and back slapping. Todd introduced me to them and then the agent handed Todd his card, writing his cell number on the back and saying, "If you ever need me, call this number". He also gave us the name of David Jolly, an old friend of his who is a Federal Marshall in the area we would be living. Then he took Todd outside in the hallway to speak with him in private, away from me. To this day I do not know what was said but shortly afterwards, we were directed down the hall into a small office. Behind the desk was the investigator for the SAO, Chuck Zeller. Mr. Zeller is a wonderful man and he asked me for my receipts for Todd's hotel room and my plane flight and rental car. There is funding within the Violent Crime and Drug Council for victims and witnesses. He said he would get reimbursement for my expenses related to Todd. To this day, I'm still waiting for that check.
Todd handed Mr. Zeller an envelope I was unaware he had. This envelope contained information on three cases, Edward Romeo, who was later convicted of murder; the guy that shot the girl with the AK-47, who is still awaiting sentencing; and a third case, Corris Lonell Stephens. That third case only involved assault and burglary, not homicide. But it's that third case that would come back to haunt us in a terrible way. Looking back, I'd have to say handing Chuck Zellar that envelope was our second and most brutal mistake. One that would affect Todd in such a way that he would eventually cut ties with the Polk County State Attorney's office, postponing the arrest of two cold blooded killers for years.
