My name is Thomas Marston and I am serving a Life Without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP). This is my story.
At a young age I was easily influenced by my older siblings and their friends. We travelled all the time due to our father. We moved to different states every 3 years because of his postings.
This was not without its fascination to the new, but we never developed lasting relationships with others. My criminal behavior started in my mid-teens with theft and disregard for authority. I found it easier to take what I wanted without concern, defying the law and underrating the consequences of my actions.
By the time I reached my early twenties I decided I would get rich while I was still young. I started dealing drugs at a low level, mainly marijuana. I watched others make money and have nice things; such as houses, cars and property, I wanted to be just like them. I also became addicted to the drugs and had a horrible time recognizing my problem.
My addiction pushed me to search out deals and deal with unknown parties. I set up a deal for a neighbor of a relative, when it finally came together it was in a rural setting outside of another town with people I did not know, In the middle of the deal 2 others showed up and gunned down the 2 guys who had set up the deal. After leaving at gunpoint, I was told nothing would be said about what had just happened. I later learned that one of the victims was in debt to the sum of thousands of dollars.
I was later identified as the one person known to have dealings with the 2 victims. I could not prove what had happened and the prosecutor was able to convince a jury that I shot 2 people with 2 different weapons. In the end I was convicted of 2 counts of murder, with no witnesses, no murder weapons, and 2 counts of special circumstances; robbery and multiple murders. I am responsible for my actions as a drug dealer and as an addict. I regret the lives that were lost, the tragic anguish it caused the families. I too lost my life that night due to my addiction and the lifestyle I chose to live and caused my family to fend for themselves.
I am not the same person I was when I was convicted of these crimes. After 33 years of incarceration, I have taken inroads towards understanding myself and the society in which I seek to rejoin. I have reflected on the person I was and have taken steps to become the person I am today. I have taken self-help groups all geared towards becoming a better person. I have the tools today that I did not possess before my incarceration. Today I am of service to others and nothing gives me a greater joy than helping those that are coming in. By sharing my experiences of what my life was, and at the same time teaching them that this is not the life they want. My hope is to one day re-enter society and work with the youth that are in my community that could be headed down this same road. Thank you
Thomas Marston