Henry Houghton
Convicted of a crime that never happened!!!
Advocates 4 Wrongfully Convicted
"Recantation(s), etc."
Here are some of the post-conviction activities that further questioned Hank's guilt and asks did the jury's verdict of guilty convict an innocent man. Please pay particular attention to the victim's (Tanya Savage) recantation letter dated August 8, 2001:



Michelle Bushey's letter to Hank - January 24, 1983

Dear Hank,

Just a few lines to say I love you and that I'm doing good in school. We might get our report cards January 27, 1983. So how have you been? I wish I could come and see you but my Mother thinks that I go back and tell my Father but I won't. And she won't let me read your letters that you gave to my mom. So will you tell her that I can read them because it looks like that you don't love me any more. Do you love me anymore, yes or no? Well I have to ask you now if you are mad at me because I went to court for them and when are you getting out of jail because I want to see you because I miss you. Oh yeah the cops gave me a necklace 14k gold. And when it's my birthday I hope you get out of jail because you can give me 14 kisses for my birthday. Don't worry I won't bring you to court for that. Well it is 9:00 o'clock and I have to go to bed and get up for school and see if I can get back in school because they threw me out of School because I didn't bring my clothing for gym so I have to bring my Mother into or else I can't go in school. But my Mother wrote a note to him so I can get back in school. Well now I have to say bye, bye, bye.

I love you!

Michelle xoxoxoxo



Michelle Bushey's letter to Hank - January 2, 1984

Tanya Savage had on a one piece bathing suit and a towel and I had on a one piece bathing suit and shorts with a towel when Hank picked up me and Tanya. When Hank dropped me off Tanya, and I had on the same clothes we had when he picked us up.

Michelle Bushey
254 Oakland St
Springfield, Mass 01108

Note: If Hank had kept Tanya all day and night, how and where did Tanya get the shirt, and shorts she had on when she ran from Hank's car? Wouldn't she still have had on the one piece bathing suit and towel she was wearing at the beach? Remember Tanya claimed Hank never took her home.



Judy Bushey's letter to Hank - March 26, 1984

Hank,

Al Bushey said to me that Houghton got framed. And I said I know that. He said that Kenny (Bushey) would do anything for that girl because he loves her very much. He said that Kenny told me a lot.

Judith A Bushey
254 Oakland St.
Springfield, Mass 01108

Note: What else did Al Bushey tell Judy? This should have come out at the trial but didn't. This should have been investigated and it wasn't.



Michelle Bushey's letter to Hank - January 22, 1985

Hi! What's up? Nothing, much to say but to say I am doing fine. How about you? Well anyways thank you for the picture of you. Oh ya I got to tell you some good news, I go to school now, and I like it too, and I have a new boyfriend, and his name is John. Well anyways I got to tell you something and it means a lot to me here goes. I miss you taking us to the beach and too the movies and other things too, and you treat me and my mother and brother's real good and I love everything you did for my family. Oh ya, I miss you a lot and I love you too and (I can't wait until you go to court because then I will just say everything just for you) because I love you alot = Hank = and I know you love me and my family too. Well I don't know what to say anymore, But are you happy I wrote this letter. (Debbie told me to tell you that she said hi and miss you.) Well anyways my mother said hi, and I want to know if you will call us. (Hank I will do the best I can in court for you OK.)  Well I will that you go now so I can leave now so I can go with my boyfriend to my friends OK. Please write back and tell me how you feel about this letter.
XOXOXO
XOXOXO

Love Always,
Michelle



Marion Bushey's statement - January 29, 1985

To whom it may concern:

I, Marion Bushey was at the Office Lounge last winter with Judy Bushey and I were talking to Albert Bushey at the time when I overheard him him say to Judy that Hank was framed and went to prison for nothing. Then I got up to dance and Al was continuing to talk to Judy. When I came back to the table they were finished talking and Judy and I walked away and sat somewhere's else.

Marion Bushey
Witness by: Judith A. Bushey



David Bushey's statement - June 11, 1986

To whom it may concern:

Daniel Masteroni at the time of Hank Houghton's trial was working for Diamond Cab. He told David Bushey that Kenneth Bushey told Daniel Masteroni that Hank Houghton was set up, on the charge of rape.

Sincerely yours,
David Bushey
254 Oakland St
Springfield, Mass. 01108



Daniel Masteroni's letter to Hank - June 27, 1986

Dear Mr. Houghton:

I was very surprised when I received your letter and information, and although I'm not in your shoes believe me, I know how you must feel.

First - let me say I don't know you other then the trial. so I can't really like of dislike you.

The way the thing started out, the police were looking for your home with the information given to them by Tanya. They had your name and car plate, and Kenny (Bushey) passed this out to all the taxi cab drivers.

I happened to be the one who saw your car and you. I radioed in and they got the police, and you know the rest.

Now, for what you asked me, and I hope, if things are, as you said in your letter, that in some way it can help you.

The only thing that I can say is that Kenny Bushey (who has since died) told me some six months after the trial, He said. "You know Dan the more I think about it, the more I think Tanya set Hank up. The way she's acting makes me think that." I asked him, "What do you mean?" He said, 'I don't know - she's acting funny and I just think he was set up - maybe she came on to him and then got scared or what I don't know."

As I told David (Bushey), I don't know how this can help you, it's second hand info. "Hearsay evidence," and the one who said it (Kenny Bushey) is dead.

Henry, as I said I don't know you, but I do feel for you - really I mean it and if this can help you in any way, I'll be very glad that I could help you, and if what you say is true, I pray to God that this can help you. I don't know how it can, but I'm no lawyer.

Take care of yourself, and God bless you Henry. I really wish you all the luck in the world. I really hope everything works out for you.

Daniel Masteroni



Scott Bushey's statement - August 23, 1986

My name is Scott Bushey and I talked with Tanya Savage on Mill St. in Springfield Mass. On August 5, 1986. When I saw her I went up to her and I asked her if her name was was Tanya Savage and she said yes so I called her names to her to her face and asked her what's going on with Hank Houghton's situation and she said in a sarcastic way that it's almost over then she went up Mill St. and I went my own way.

Sincerely yours,

Scott Bushey
254 Oakland St
Springfield, Mass 01108




Tanya Savage's letter to Hank - October 11, 1986:

Dear Hank,

I got your letters and I'm sorry I put you in jail but I would get into trouble and I can't go back to court because I don't want to go to jail and I'm afraid you'll come after me if I get you out of jail for saying what I did. I know you said you wouldn't but I don't want to get into trouble. I'm sorry Hank but I can't go back to court.

Tanya

There is a copy, in Hank's case files, of the envelope sent from Tanya Savage to Hank Houghton at MCI-Norfolk postmarked 11 Oct 1986 form Springfield MA



James Langlois statement - September 1987

To who it may concern:

On, or around September 1987, I was having a conversation with my aunt Paula Brooks; present were Holly Aiken, Cindy Aiken, and Raymond Aiken. Paula Brooks is the mother of Holly, Cindy, and Raymond Aiken.

We were talking about the issue of child abuse as it was happening to someone we know, and during this conversation, my aunt stated that she knew something about my friend's sister, and about pornographic pictures being taken of her and another girl. The friend's sister is Michelle Bushey, and the other girl was Tanya Savage, and the pictures were being taken by Michelle's father, Kenneth Bushey, who is also the step-father of Tanya Savage.

This was told to my aunt by Judy Bushey, and Michelle Bushey, Judy being Michelle's mother, in that it pertained to Hank Haughton, as he found out about it, and when he tried to stop it, and do something about it, he was set up by Kenneth Bushey, Darlene Savage, and Tanya Savage in order to keep from going to jail. Darlene Savage is Tanya's mother.

It was also stated that Arthur Savagea Jr. had raped Michelle Bushey, about a year before they even knew Hank Houghton, and Kenneth Bushey refused to do anything about it, and threatened Judy Bushey, if she tried to, and that all this was going on long before they met Hank Haughton.

James Langlois
James Langlois
77 Pine Street
Springfield, Mass. 01105



Affidavit of Counsel (James A. Couture) - December 6, 1993

Now comes Counsel for the above Defendant (Henry Houghton) and by way of Affidavit states as follows:

1. I was appointed to represent the above Defendant for post-conviction purposes on 2/17/93.

2. The Defendant has suggested and I concur, that there is reason to believe that the alleged victim (Tina Savage) in the instant case did not tell the truth at trial.

3. Indeed, the alleged victim has written to the Defendant and that letter may be fairly interpreted as suggesting that she did not tell the truth at trial.

4. Counsel and Defendant have attempted to locate the alleged victim, but we have been able to learn nothing more specific than that she now is married and lives in Panama City, Florida.

5. In the course of attempting to locate the alleged victim I have spoken with her Father, Arthur Savage.

6. When I spoke with Mr. Savage he indicated to me that he doubted the alleged victim's trial testimony.

7. Mr. Savage was not able to specify on what he based his skepticism.

8. It was this Counsel's impression that Mr Savage's skepticism would be best described, using the vernacular, ad a "gut feeling."

9. Because the alleged victim cannot now be located Defendant is prevented from presenting this matter to the Court in the form of a new trial motion.

10. However, Counsel does suggest that sufficient basis exists to consider reducing Defendant's sentence, based on the suspect nature of the alleged victim's trial testimony.


Signed:

James A. Couture
James A. Couture



Affidavit of Vernon Cook - September 29, 1996

I, Vernon Cook, of NCCI-Gardner, P.O. Box 466, Gardner, Mass. 01440, hereby state that I overheard former State Trooper John Mace, of the District Attorney's Office, Hampden County, while incarcerated at the Hampden County House of Corrections in 1987 or 1988, as I best remember, state that if Henry "Hank" Houghton, pursue's his line of inquiries and investigation into his crime and conviction, that a "Hit" contract on his life, and his wife and children's lives would be taken out. The contract would come from "Officers of the Court" and others involved with this case.

Sworn to under the pains and penalties of perjury on this 29th day of September 1996.


Vernon Cook
Vernon Cook
P.O. Box 466
Gardner, Mass. 01440



Tina Savage's recantation letter - August 8, 2001:

Dear Hank,

I have received your letters about our case and you must understand how hard it is for me because if my husband find's out about this my marriage will be destroyed and cause a whole lot of hardship for me and my kids, and that's one of the reasons why I haven't responded before now, and it's only because of all the letters you are sending me, but please, don't send another one to my husband.

As I said before, I can't and won't go back to Massachusetts because of what I just said, and I won't let the D.A., and those cops put me in jail and take my family away, because I have them to worry about now.

You should talk to Michelle (Bushey) because I wrote to her like you said I should back in June of this year (2001).

I don't know what else I can say or do Hank for putting you in prison for nothing, but you know I had to or else I would have gotten into serious trouble.

But now that it's been so long I will say this if it help's.

"Hank Haughton did not rape, kidnap, or do anything else to me in July 1982, or any other time. All Hank did was try to help me, Michelle, and the others. I was at home that night and Kenny (Bushey) took me to the drive-in to put the knife, cigarettes, AA Book, and beer bottles in the place where he told me to say that Hank took me, and told me what to say and how to say it, and that is the reason my mother never went to the police station like she was asked to. When Hank picked me up on that morning I was only supposed to go to McDonald's and start screaming for help. You know the rest Hank.

A few months after trial, me and Michelle called your lawyer, and he said he would take care of it and call us if he needed to talk to us again, and that the prosecutor would be in touch, but he never did.

Sworn to the pains and penalties of perjury according to the laws of Massachusetts on August 8, 2001, at 9:30 A.M."

I'm sorry Hank, and I hope that you can forgive me and that you can have a happy peaceful life.

Please, for mine and my kids sake, don't write anymore, and especially to my husband.

Sincerely,

Tanya Savage
Tanya Savage,
251 Nellie St. No. 10
Panama City, Fla. 32401-5223


There is a copy, in Hank's case files, of the envelope sent from Tanya Savage to Hank Houghton at Gardner State Prison postmarked 16 Aug 2001 form Tampa FL.


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