The above picture is of Michael Hancock superimposed over a picture of one of the common areas of River North Correction Center in Independence, VA.  Where he has served 13 years of his sentence.

Free Michael Hancock

Michael Todd Hancock is rotting away in a Virginia prison for the rest of his life for crimes he did not commit.

In March of 2007 Michael Hancock. Age 38, was convicted by a jury for the robbery and murders of Leonard Johnson Jr., age 45, and Donald Ryder, age 46, and was sentenced to 5 life sentences without parole.

Michael Hancock needs your help to hire an attorney to prove his innocence and for justice.

Listed here is all the physical and forensic evidence introduced at his trial, along with testimonies from witnesses. There is no evidence connecting Hancock to these horrific crimes. There is a lot of evidence showing Hancock could not have committed these crimes and that Tracy Reeves, the key witness for the prosecution, is a liar. You will also see that the police and prosecution refused to collect evidence that would have cleared Hancock.

During the trial, in order for the prosecution to get a jury to convict Hancock, the prosecutor violated Mr. Hancock’s Constitutional rights and his trial rights at least 34 times, prejudicing the jury to convict where there was no evidence to do so.

Hancock was also denied an appeal due to the negligence of his trial attorneys failure to file a notice of appeal.

Read the evidence and witness testimonies presented during the trial and YOU decide if Hancock is innocent or guilty. And with your help and support Mr. Hancock will be able to hire an attorney who will be able to free him from the cruel injustice done him. He has been incarcerated for over 12 years now and is 51 years old. He will be imprisoned for life all because of a malicious prosecution. But with your help and support true justice can prevail and an innocent man set free.

Description of Events

Location: Burkeville, Virginia – on Lone Pine Lane

Leonard Johnson Jr. was found by his neighbor on 8-3-05 at 6:00 am dead sitting in his truck in his driveway, the truck running, the clutch pushed in and in reverse. The driver side window open and the door slightly ajar, the passenger window shattered. He was shot 5 times in the head. 4 .38 caliber slugs were recovered.

All prints and blood found in and on the truck belonged to the victim. Inside the victim’s house a brown fold wallet was found by the sofa where Johnson was known to sleep $3.00 and some change was found in his pocket.

Last known contact was with his mother when she called him before 11:00 pm 8-2-05 to awake him to go to work.

There was no evidence connecting anyone to this crime, nor any motive to why anyone would want to kill Johnson.

Location: Blackstone, Virginia, On Matthews Mill Road, A dead end.

Donald Ryder was last seen on 8-4-05 at 2:30pm. He was reported missing on 8-6-05. On

11-6-05 his skeletal remains were found off a dead end road in the woods.

An autopsy showed that he was murdered, shot once to the head. His skeletal remains were recovered along with his t-shirt, boxers, socks and boots. Also recovered were 3 empty beer cans of 3 different brands.

There was no evidence connecting anyone to this crime, nor any motive as to why he was murdered.

On 11-6-05 Tracy Reeves was arrested for the murder of Leonard Johnson Jr..

Tracy Reeves went on to make 5 different statements trying to distance herself from the crimes. In doing so she pointed the finger at her boyfriend with whom she lived, Michael Hancock. In December 2005 Michael Hancock was indicted and arrested for these murders based solely on Tracy Reeves statement that he did it.

Trial Evidence, Physical and Forensics

Leonard Johnson Jr. (victim) Crime Scene Evidence

• Photo of Crime Scene, showing victim sitting in his truck in his driveway deceased.

• 4 slugs .38 caliber recovered. (3 from truck backrest, 1 from the victim.)

• Police sketch of the victims truck.

• Photo of an Old Milwaukee Beer Carton, found down the road in the ditch.

• $3.00 and change located in victims pocket.

• All fingerprints in and outside of the truck belongs to the victim.

• All blood found in the truck belongs to the victim.

• Brown fold wallet located in victims home by the sofa.

Donald Ryder (victim) Crime Scene Evidence

• Photo of Crime Scene, showing human skeletal remains.

• Victims t-shirt, boxers, socks and boots.

• Photo of 3 empty beer cans, 1-Miller, 1-Bud light, 1-Old Milwaukee.

Victoria Reservoir, Recovery Location

• .357 Ruger Revolver.

• 7 .38 Caliber bullets.

• Burnt fabric from trash barrel. (Jean Material)

Cary Shop Road, Recovery Location

• Burned debris.

• Old Milwaukee beer carton.

• 15 Cigarette butts. Different brands.

Forensic and Expert Testimony

• Ballistics – Slugs at Leonard Johnson Jr. crime scene matches the gun recovered from Reservoir used to kill Johnson Jr.

• Medical Examiner – Cause of death to Leonard Johnson Jr., 5 gunshot wounds to the head.

• Medical Examiner – Cause of death to Donald Ryder, 1 gunshot wound to the head.

Trial Evidence, Continued.

Michael Todd Hancock (the Accused)

• Hancock’s DNA Swab.

• Hancock’s Fingerprints.

• Backseat of Hancock’s 1988 Blue Mustang.

• Photograph of Hancock.

Forensic and Expert Testimony

• No DNA match to Michael Hancock

• No Fingerprint match to Michael Hancock.

• No blood detected on stain fabric #1 from backseat of Mustang.

• No blood detected on stain fabric #2 from backseat of Mustang.

• A small spot of blood was indicated in a stain on the front side of the backseat. The results of the DNA analysis were inconclusive and cannot determine whether human or animal blood.

Trial Evidence, Testimonials

Prosecutions Witness:

• Ruby Johnson(Victim, Leonard Johnson Jr’s mother) – Last talked to her son close to 11:00pm on 8-2-05. Her son owned a brown fold wallet. Her son only kept $10.00 or less on his person at all times.

• Donna Miscovich(Victim, Leonard Johnson Jr’s neighbor) – On her way to work at 6:00am on 8-3-05 she noticed Johnson’s truck window broken. She stopped and found Johnson sitting in his truck dead. She called 911.

• Officer Pratt – arrived. Took pictures of the scene and sealed off the scene.

• Officer Sgt. Jones – recovered 3 slugs from the truck. Recovered $3.00 and change from victim’s pocket. In the victim’s house recovered a brown fold wallet by the sofa.

• Lt. Detective Ronnie Scruggs(Lead Investigator) – On 11-6-05 at Donald Ryder’s crime scene. Found Skeletal remains of Donald Ryder, .04 miles from the end of a dead end road, (Matthew Mills Road), in the woods. Recovered t-shirt, boxers, socks and boots. Boots were still strapped up. High boots with several buckles to secure it. Recovered 3 empty beer cans, 1- Miller, 1- Bud Light and 1-Old Milwaukee. Conducted a totl of 4 searches, but did not find any bullets or casings.

• Chief Medical Examiner, Mrs Fierro – Cause of death to Leonard Johnson Jr., 5 gunshot wounds to the head. All 5 lethal wounds. Cause of death to Donald Ryder, 1 gunshot wound to the head.

• John Wimmer(Forensic Gun Expert) – Ballistics and Lab reports, same revolver located in reservoir matches .38 caliber rounds used to kill Leonard Johnson Jr.

Trial Evidence, Continued.

• Gene Hamilton(Forensic/DNA) – All the DNA and fingerprints belong the victim Leonard Johnson Jr.. No matches to Michael Hancock. On the stain on the lower back seat of Michael Hancock’s blue Mustang, small spot of blood, could not be determined if it is human or animal. Inconclusive.

• Tracy Reeves(Hancock’s live in girlfriend) – Her husband, Terry Reeves, and her have been on the Jesse James Hawkins Property, She has never met Mr. Hawkins. Her husband Terry has been in Mr. Hawkins home. She left her husband April 2, 2005 to be with Michael Hancock. Sometime late July she dropped off Hancock at Hawkins home where Hancock broke in and stole a gun and some weed(marijuana). Michael Hancock owned a blue Mustang. Hancock needed money to pay his rent of $150.00. Her and Hancock were driving (she was driving) past Leonard Johnson’s house about 10:00am, when she let Hancock out of the car and drove away down the road. Heard shots, went back and picked up Hancock. He had a black velour wallet but don’t know how much money. We went to a logging road off of Cary Shop Road where Hancock burned his clothes and the black velour wallet. Did not get enough money to pay rent. On 8-4-05 her and Hancock went to Donald Ryder’s house at 2:30pm for Hancock to do a tattoo on Ryder. Ryder had been drinking so Hancock did not do the tattoo. Hancock doesn’t tattoo people who drink. We took Ryder to thee dollar store then took him back to his house. Then we went home. We went back to Ryder’s house at 5:00pm and picked up Ryder. We went to C-Mart. Ryder bought a 12 pack of beer. We rode around and went to Matthew Mills Road. She used to live there on a dirt road past the dead end road. She went through the gate to pee. Hancock and Ryder walked past. She joined them. Hancock pulled out a gun and shot Ryder in the head. Hancock then shot him again, I maybe heard more shots Hancock dragged Ryder into the woods. He took a stick and stirred the blood into the dirt. We went back to the car. We went to the Cary Shop Road where Hancock burned his clothes. Then went to the reservoir where Hancock threw the gun into the reservoir. Hancock the burned his t-shirt in the trash barrel at the reservoir. Then we went home. It was almost dark.

She knew Johnson. She used to live across the road from him. She knows Ryder.

She has been seeing her husband for 1 ½ months and planning to leave Hancock and go back with her husband. Terry Reeves.

• Alice Neathery (Tracy Reeve’s mother) – She said that Tracy asked her where she could get a gun. This was sometime in July.

• Betsy Evans (Tracy Reeves best friend) – She said that Tracey asked her where she could get a gun.

• Sandy Martin (Donald Ryder’s sister) – Said her brother Donald Ryder got $580.00 to $600.00 for disability/Bi-Polar on 8-3-05. She is his designated payee. On 8-4-05 at 10:00am she gave Donald Ryder $200.00 to give to Hancock for a tattoo that day.

• Robert McDaniels (Ryder’s Landlord) – Donald Ryder lived in his house. Ryder got into a blue Camero. A female got out of the car to let Ryder get in. Never saw Hancock. Ryder left to go to the Dollar Store. About 2:30pm, 8-4-05. Ryder left and I never saw him again. In his backyard, a couple of weeks before that day, Hancock discussed doing a tattoo with Ryder. I didn’t see Hancock the day Ryder disappeared. Rooster and Dennis Obecker saw Hancock that evening at 8-8:30pm at my house.

Trial Evidence, Continued

• Jesse James Hawkins (Owner of .357 revolver stolen from his house) – I’m a gun collector. Own a lot of guns. Work midnight shift on the railroad. My house was burglarized the last day or two of July 2005. Stolen was a .357 revolver, some weed (marijuana), some pills and $200.00. All of this was in my bedroom dresser drawer beside my bed. My home was broken into through a glass pane in the back door leading into my bedroom. Have a safe in my house. Own 20-25 guns, 8 pistols. Didn’t report the burglary/theft because I suspected a friend did it. Reported it to the police on 11-23-05 when police came asking about the gun. I knew Terry Reeves and his dad. They are good friends. Terry has been to my house. I do not know Michael Hancock. Never seen him before. Nothing else in my house was taken or disturbed.

• Carroll Mamma(Hancock’s Landlord) – Hancock has always paid his rent the beginning of the month. His rent was $395.00 per month.

Defense Witness:

• Helen Morris (Acquaintance of Michael Hancock) – Knows Michael Hancock. Remembers Hancock was at her house when her dogs attacked some puppies that she and her daughter brought home. The puppy’s tail was bitten off and Hancock put thee puppies in the back seat of his care so the dogs couldn’t get to them. He took the puppies back to where they were found. He drove a blue Mustang. My mother passed away and I was going to sell her car. Michael Hancock offered to buy it for $3,000.00. The last day of July 2005, Michael Hancock offered her $3,000.00 cash for the car. But then I changed my mind and instead decided to keep the car belonging to my mom.

Points

Nothing points to Hancock as the culprit who committed these crimes.

Hancock knew Ryder. He never met Johnson or Hawkins.

Tracy Reeves and her husband Terry Reeves knew all of the victims and Hawkins. Terry also lived across the road from Johnson and the location where Ryder’s remains were found.

Hancock has never been seen with a gun. No one has ever heard of him looking for a gun.

Tracy Reeves mother and her best friend both said Tracy asked them if they knew where she could get a gun. Terry Reeves, Tracy’s husband, knew Hawkins very well, is good friends with him and has been in his home and knows exactly where to get a gun.

Tracy Reeves said her and Hancock picked up Ryder at his house at 2:30pm, and took him to the Dollar Store then back to his house. And later they came back and picked up Ryder again at 5:00pm. Ryder’s Landlord Mr. McDaniels said Ryder left at 2:30pm and never returned home. He said he never saw him again.

Tracy Reeves said Hancock needed $150.00 to pay his rent for August 1^st. Helen Morris said Hancock had $3,000.00 cash he offered her the last day of July to buy a car. Only one day before August 1^st , and 2 days before Johnson’s murder.

Sandy Martin, Ryder’s sister, said she gave Ryder $200.00 cash to give to Hancock for a tattoo he was to get from Hancock the day he disappeared. Even Tracy Reeves said Hancock did a lot of tattoo work.

And if Tracy is to be believed and Hancock broke into Hawkins home and stole a .357 revolver (valued at $300.00 easy), marijuana (value?), pills (valued?), and $200.00 cash on the last day or two of July. Surely if he did this he wouldn’t need to go killing people for $150.00. And if rent money was the motive for the murders, there was plenty of money in Hawkins home; A safe (untouched), 20-25 guns (untouched), and lots of other valuables (untouched). None of this was taken, Why not? Could it be he was looking for just a gun and knew where to get one? Hawkins home was broken into late at night when they knew he would be at work, and someone knew the inside of Hawkins home and where to get a gun. They went straight to his bedroom dresser drawer , and upon seeing the marijuana, the pills and cash they took that along with the gun. Nothing else in his house disturbed. That is why Hawkins thought it was a friend and didn’t report it.

Hancock had no reason to kill these people. Money clearly was not the motive for the deaths. The true motive lies with Tracy Reeves.

Tracy Reeves said that Hancock burned his clothes at Cary Shop Road. Then she said he burned his t-shirt at the reservoir in a trash barrel. Forensic said that the fabric in the trash barrel was not t-shirt material but jean.

Note: The trash barrel at the reservoir, like most reservoir and lake trash barrels have been used repeatedly over the years to burn trash.

Also the dead end road, Matthew Mills Road, is full of trash and is like a road side ditch where cans and bottles are discarded.

Points, continued

The dirt road off of Cary Shop Road where debris was recovered is a place where teens and young adults go outside of town to drink, party and create burn piles. Junk and trash is dumped there.

Tracy Reeves said that when her and Hancock left the reservoir and went home, it was almost dark. (August 4^th would put that time at 8:30 – 8:45pm). Rooster and Obecker said they saw Hancock at McDaniels house in the next county at 8:00 – 8:30pm.

Malicious Prosecutions

Michael Hancock was prosecuted by a malicious prosecutor and police department, The Nottoway Sheriff’s Department.

Hancock went to prison when he was a teen for robbery and served 20 years. He was released when he was 37 years old. He had a good job in construction and lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Months later he met Tracy Reeves and she persuaded him to move to Lunenburg County, his home town and where she lived. Hancock’s family and his friends told him he’d be making a mistake leaving and going back there,with that girl. Seven months later Hancock was put in jail. The police in Lunenburg and neighboring county Nottoway, where Hancock grew up, told Hancock he shouldn’t have come back and threatened and harassed him for no reason other than they didn’t want him in “their” town.

Hancock was no angel during his youth, but he admitted his wrong doings and turned himself in and served his time. He got out and was doing fine. Hancock was the best tattoo artist anywhere around.

Hancock is 51 years old now, an innocent man, who will do the rest of his life in prison for crimes he is innocent of.

Tracy Reeves, in exchange for her testimony got a deal for 12 years if she says Hancock did it. She served 11 years and was released from prison last year. Terry Reeves, Tracy’s husband, was never even investigated.

What the police don’t want you to know

• Tracy’s best friend, Betsy Evans, said in her statement that, the day Leonard Johnson was found dead, that Tracy Reeves stated “He needed killing”. Betsy Evans also stated that she was at Hancock’s home with Tracy when Tracy and her husband Terry took Hancock’s log journal from his home. Note: Hancock kept a Log/Cash journal on everybody he tattooed. This would have shown Hancock’s whereabouts and witness for his alibi.

• The police and prosecutor knew the whereabouts of another possible murder weapon and the 12 pack of beer Ryder purchased and they refused to collect it or even investigate it. Note: This would have shown Tracy Reeves was lying and the police knew this evidence would discredit Tracy’s testimony.

Contact Information

If you wish for more information or to contact Michael Hancock you can do so by going to JPAY.com and opening an account with Michael Hancock #1130006 to email with him, or write to:

Michael Hancock #1130006

River North Corr. Ctr.

329 Dellbrook Lane

Independence, VA 24348