Deputy Sheriff Marlin S. Stephens

Marlin was a friend of mine. He and I were elementary and h.s. classmates. He and I played football together. Marlin was one of the best people I ever knew. I vividly remember the sendoff some of us gave Marlin at the old Polar Girl, just before his deployment to Vietnam. Marlin was a helicopter door gunner, one of the most dangerous jobs in the Army.

How awful and tragic that Marlin survived Vietnam, only to be heartlessly murdered by a drunk. My father was the judge when Marlin's killer was tried. The killer, unfortunately, was represented by my cousin, Peter Zack Geer,who was a skilled attorney.

My father charged the jury only to consider murder, with no consideration for lesser charges. I later asked my dad why he didn't include manslaughter in his charge , and he told me that he was required to charge what the evidence justified and that the evidence clearly showed that Marlin was murdered.

Many years later, I found out that several of the jurors had been visited and intimidated by relatives of the murderer. I was told about the jury tampering years after my dad died.

Many years ago, I told Marlin's brother, Larry what my dad had told me about the trial. I had intended to visit Marlin's mother, but failed to do so. If my dad had discovered the jury tampering, he would have declared a mistrial, and the tamperers would have gone to prison.

It's horrific enough that Marlin's family lost him so tragically. It's equally tragic that Marlin's family never received any kind of justice.

Walter I "Wig" Geer II
Friend

August 30, 2021