29 Year Old Tennessee Case Still Up in the Air

Photo by Tom Killips

Memories of former Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton have re-appeared. New York authorities are holding a man they say is a fugitive from Justice here in Tennessee. 62 year old Robert T. Henry III says otherwise. He claims money was paid to Blanton for a pardon, as we read in this report from The Troy Record…

By Dave Canfield The Record

TROY — Two months after his arrest, Tennessee authorities have yet to submit the proper paperwork to New York to extradite Robert T. Henry III, wanted in his home state for the past 29 years as a fugitive from justice. An appearance in Troy City Court Thursday moved the 62-year-old’s case no further, as public defender John Turi asked the judge to release Henry — like he did a month ago — and was again told it was not within the judge’s authority. “I haven’t seen a governor’s warrant. I haven’t seen a warrant at all,” Turi told Judge Kathleen Leahey-Robichard. “He’s been in custody 60 days. Sixty days is certainly a more than adequate period of time for someone to travel from Tennessee to Troy.” The judge told Turi a request for bail must be filed in Rensselaer County Court, as Judge Christopher Maier told him at Henry’s last court appearance. While Tennessee authorities attempting to extradite the man they say never returned from a prison work release on June 10, 1980, have not produced the proper paperwork — they need warrants signed by Tenn. Gov. Phil Bredesen and Gov. David Paterson — Assistant District Attorney Shane Hug said he has been in touch with them in the past week and was told the proper forms have been sent to Bredesen. Hug sought and was granted a 60-day extension at Henry’s last appearance on June 4. “It’s just a process that takes a little time,” Hug said, suggesting that extensions are available for just that reason. “Tennessee is trying to get him.” Henry, a Vietnam veteran with physical and mental health problems, had been serving a 15-year sentence on a robbery charge. He has claimed that he was granted executive clemency in return for $10,000 campaign contributions from his mother and aunt to former Tenn. Gov. Ray Blanton, who halted his re-election bid and left office three days early amid a clemency-for-cash scandal, among other ethical issues. That scandal, for which aides of Blanton were charged but not the former governor himself, has been the subjects of movies and books. Henry has produced no proof of such a deal, but friends and relatives said he had spoke about it long before he was re-arrested in Troy on June 4. He had been living on and off for in Troy about six years at that time. It was his attempt to contact Tennessee authorities when he learned they were after him allowed them to easy track his location. He is scheduled to re-appear in Troy City Court on July 30.