I have never been so sickened by a story!!! I am so furious. The cops, the DA and the judge are the ones that should be in jail. I've lost everything because my partner embezzled from me but I will promise that if I ever have money again I will do whatever I can to help Billy out. I couldn't sleep last night.

Copy and paste this web site if you would like to get on the petition for the freedom of Billy Wayne Cope.

http://www.change.org/petitions/free-an-innocent-man-free-billy-wayne-cope

Together we may be able to may a big difference...

Copy and paste this web site if you would like to get on the petition for the freedom of Billy Wayne Cope.

http://www.change.org/petitions/free-an-innocent-man-free-billy-wayne-cope

Together we may be able to may a big difference...

Wow. Saw the Dateline show. It is clear the only conspiracy is the legal systems apparent disregard for justice and the rush to put someone, anyone, in prison for the murder of a child...simply a "notch in the belt" for a corrupt system. I have seen this far too often where the easiest path is to railroad an innocent person. As an American, I am petrified that this can happen to anyone, including myself. Be scared people, be scared!

I have never been more disgusted in my life. Being a daughter of a cop, I am totally ashamed of what they did!!!! the cops , the attorneys,the judge , they should all be ashamed of themselves....so now this man has to stay in jail miss out on his kids . Karma is a bitch !!

I would love to have Billy's address so that I can send him letters of encouragement. I believe that God will prevail in the end and that Billy will be shown as innocent. My only hope is that he doesn't come out imbittered because of how he's been treated and what he's lost. My thoughts and prayers to Billy and to his family. This can't be easy on any of them! His 2 remaining daughters have lost this momma (she died under the care of Amy Simmons), their sister, who was brutally killed in their home and their daddy. I would like to see how they are doing today.

I pray that we can help this man,I have started trying to bring awareness to the case on facebook.I plea that all will do the same

You are so blinded, this has nothing to do with Dateline "fooling" people, this has to do with a injustice justice system, a corrupt police department who completly screwed up the investigation and instead of admitting it, the blame has been placed on an innocent man, I visited your website and it's ridiculous. And Dateline does mention the previous neglect charges, your crime scene photos of your house show a house of filth, yes I can concur with that, but does that make a murderer? A man who watches porn, does that make him a murderer? Billy Wayne Cope is an innocent man and you need to open your eyes and look at that facts. You are telling all of us to do it, so do you. God knows the truth and the truth will prevail one day.

J.Martin, seriously? Are u on crack!?!? The two co-defendants do not know each other. Mr.Copes DNA is nowhere on the victim. He has a sleeping machine to keep him breathing, he had fans in the window, and his home was easy to break into. He repeated that he did not hurt his daughter in any way at least 650 times. Why would the prosecution use the nurse to help gather the defense if they were so sure Mr.Cope committed the crime? I'm appealing to your common sense...even if this doesn't create doubt in totality (for you), it definitely creates reasonable doubt. He was simply railroaded by the police.

That was my very first impression. Who creates an entire website with the person's name? Does he have any other websites like this? I'm going to read the other site to see if anything changes my mind but one of the biggest issues I have is his video confession of the crime. He didn't mention the other guy at all. Were we supposed to believe he beat his daughter and sexually assaulted her with a broom and sometime either before or after that the other guy just happened to come in and rape her to leave his DNA? I would also have issue with a nurse that caused some people to go into a coma by injecting them with too much insulin. Cope's wife died under some very strange circumstances. I'll bet she took her pain meds anyway. I think she set up Cope to get out of her charges that were mysteriously dismissed. Why else would she take in Cope's wife and write to him in jail? It wasn't because she was a nice person. I think she forged the letters and spied on the lawyers to get out of her charges.

I agree!! I started looking at that site and it made me ill.

What program were YOU watching? Dateline DID state the parents were charged and convicted of neglect prior to the murder. It is people like you who don't listen and this is why we have innocent people in prison.

Billy Wayne Cope is INNOCENT! This is a horrible injust! The jury was idiots! The Rock Hill Police Department is a bunch of backwoods uneducated nobodies! The Rock Hill police department give a bad name to all police departments! This was the saddest Dateline case I ever watched. I watched and heard everything, you have to be braindead not to see his innocence. Billy Wayne Cope I am praying for you! I am so sorry for your suffering and loss! April, with all her charges of drugs, abuse and forgery was a horrible choice for a family friend, church member or witness in this case. I think it is very strange and yet alarming, how Billy Wayne Cope's wife was in her care after her operation and passed away 3 days later. No one looking into that? I watched all of Dateline Investigation and not once did I EVER think this man did this. I whole-heartedly believe he was coersed in the written confessions. They are not confessions if they are not accurate to what actually happened to the little girl! I think Sanders is a sicko and deserves to rot in jail. What else does Billy Wayne Cope have, he lost his daughter to an evil Sanders, his wife to a simple operation and his two living daughters to the state. Never stop believing in Jesus Christ, pray for the corrupted Rock Hill police department, contaminated jury, ridiculous judge and prosecuter. Sad that they have to live with this. Never give up hope Mr. Billy Wayne Cope!

please take another look.NONE of the family knew the serial rapist. the house might have been cluttered but that dosen't mean he was a killer.the cops and DA had to come up with cover stories (not that they would ever make a mistake (sarcasam).

Yes this happened in the South I am ashamed to say, but not all places in the south are THAT backwards... you are right though get in the wrong place with some of the judicial systems in the south and it can be bad news. That part is very sad to have to say. I am from the South, proud of it in every way except for this...

Must be Derk again. What a fool.

Billy totally got railroaded by the system. Way to go DA, must be hard to sleep at night unless you're a total piece of crap.....

Bullshit! The accusations you posted above that said dateline neglected to report, we're clearly in the documentation. Maybe you should watch it again.

I cannot find your website, sir. So, I cannot hear your side of the story.

I think I know this weesel "what dateline forgot to mention". He used to post under a different name Anyway, he (she, or it) is a liar at worst, or a hot air enema at best. The probation was for neglect. The court transcript reveals that Billy was never convicted, nor even thought to have molested anyone

I believe that there has been such a miscarriage of justice in this case. The police and the prosecuter's office are so wrong in this case. Why no fingerprints in the house, why was some of the evidence not even examined? Hopefully the Supreme Court will see that justice was NOT carried out in this case, but an innocent man was railroaded by a county that did not want to.waste time and money (their actions prove this) I hope that there is someone out there who can actually see what happened

According to Dateline ID, Cope passed the lie detector test and was told he didn't in an effort for police to gain leverage against him.

I believe he is innocent. I many people that live in Rock Hill that would a agree that the police would do anything to convict someone for a crime. After one confession generally your considered guilty, so why would you need multiple confessions? I believe 1000% that he was pressured to write those confessions by the police and if he hadn't he was threaten that he would lose his family. The entire city police, county police, also the prosecutors will do anything to win their case. What happened to justice? There is no justice in York county.

You are on the money! And what has compelled Brackett to defend his prosecution with a web site that only proves Datelines case? This is a case of a shameful magnitude. Justice should protect the weak - Amanda needs justice, YES! But, law enforcement should protect the rights of the weak, even if it is your suspect! And shame on the Court of Appeals for agreeing with the prosecution.

Two similar cases in SC come to mind that would behoove us all to watch closely: First, Barry Bolin, convicted of homicide in York County, and going to his first hearing in February 2012. Second, saveveronica.org is an example of Family Court in Charleston and the Court of Appeals not applying sensible justice!

How do we get rid of Justices, Lawyers, Police and Prosecutors that are stupid? Someone please tell me!

The only way to get rid of people like this is the same way they are doing the innocent. Pick up your pen's write letters to the Govenor, Senator's, President of the US.
We are the People... that is what the Constitution reads... We have to speak up. We have to cover them up with letters, calls, emails... WE have to make noise WE as a PEOPLE have to make it happen. That is what I know and it takes voices of people who want a change. That is what will start moving the force that thinks it is unmovable... A force of United People...

The only way to get rid of people like this is the same way they are doing the innocent. Pick up your pen's write letters to the Govenor, Senator's, President of the US.
We are the People... that is what the Constitution reads... We have to speak up. We have to cover them up with letters, calls, emails... WE have to make noise WE as a PEOPLE have to make it happen. That is what I know and it takes voices of people who want a change. That is what will start moving the force that thinks it is unmovable... A force of United People...

Interesting how no one mentions the 2 living daughters and what they think of their "father"? These parents were neglectful, disgusting people who never should have been given custody after the first court case, in which they plead guilty. Look at the photos of the house in 1999 and see the similarities when the murder occurred. No, it doesn't prove he is guilty of murder, but it does prove he did not care for his children.

I agree with Donna in reference to your post. You're an idiot. Such a far cry from living like a "hoarder" and being a murderer.

Ditto! They should hang their heads in complete SHAME.

After seeing the Dateline story, I am amazed at the bassackward legal system in South Carolina. Unbelievable. Billy Cope not withstanding, does the jury realized they convicted (rightfully so) a man, James Sanders, and never heard barely more than mere mention of DNA. I'm just shocked and pray I never get caught in South Carolina breaking any law. I am a nurse and find it horrendous that the prosecuters needed to so badly defend their wrongful accusation that they would allow Amy Simmons to get by with murder of the elderly. The entire conviction is baffling. The jurors apparently got some kind of pay off as well since the one interviewed didn't care at all about Sanders' other crimes.
Praying for a succesful appeal.

As a life long SC resident, I know full well how corrupt the police & the DA in this state are. At the age of 14 I was very aware of a sever drug problem my father was dealing with. This is my family's story. One night we were shocked to find that someone had poisoned our dog. I insisted that my mom call 911. A female officer was sent to our home and took a report even hugging me as I wept before leaving. The next afternoon while my mom was at work, a few of my dad's friends came over to watch a game on tv. I knew the smell of my dad's drug of choice and knew that it was not being smoked at the time. I began to fix lunch for my younger brother when I heard a knock at the door. It was my aunt's boyfriend, a known dealer, whom I thought was in jail. He asked if my dad was home then asked if he could use the bathroom. I said sure and returned to the kitchen. He came back up the hall and stood in our open front doorway then turned and went back to the hall. The next thing I know I heard a loud bang as a large police officer burst into our front door with a gun pointed in my face screaming "On the ground!" I was in shock and didn't move so he grabbed the collar of my shirt and shoved me to the floor. With the barrel of his gun pressed into my shoulder he yelled "Get someone in here to search this bitch!" I heard my dad plead from his cuffed place on the arm of our sofa "Stop! Thats my 14 yr old daughter!" He was told to shut his mouth. I looked up and saw a familiar face... IT WAS THE LADY SHERRIFF FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE! She paused when she saw my terrfied face. Then said "I'm so sorry baby." Right before cuffing me. She then patted me down sticking a gloved finger in both my vagina and my rectum before announcing that I was clean. An older cop then instucted another to "Get these kids outta here!" Reffering to me and my 7 yr old brother whom they had screamed at to get away from the porch cause his daddy was goin to jail and he was goin to an orphanage. They then relesed us to my aunts dealer boyfriend who said he was only there to pick us up. We later found out he set my dad up to get his charges dropped saying that my dad was his supplier. When my mom arrived after being called by a neighbor, she was told that if she didn't leave she would be arrested too. He then called her stupid for not knowing she was married to one of the biggest drug trafficers in the state (LIE). For the next week they used our home as a sting house. When we finally where allowed to come home (after being notified that they had no right to commandere (sp) our home) we found that they had destroyed our home and eaten all our food. It took my mom and her sister days to get the house back in order. My mother and father were later told by the DA that if they pressed charges for the way their kids or home were handled they'd be sorry. They then informed my dad that they found no drugs in our home but if he did not plead guilty that by the time they got to court they'd have enough dope and witnesses to make sure he never saw the light of day again. My father did the only thing he knew to do. He plead guilty and served 2 yrs for possesion with intent. SC police are not to be trusted. My prayers are with this poor victim of the SC judicial system.

Jen, I agree totally. I am always skeptical when it comes to such blatant miscarriages of justice especially because television is motivated to spin stories to make them more interesting and controversial. That said, I also looked over the prosecutors website which does show all the cold hard facts including Cope's confession. Everything down to crime scene photos are full of inconsistencies that shed reasonable doubt of his guilt and anyone with half a brain couldn't in good faith convict this man.

wow. That jury looked like a bunch of ignorant hicks. Obviously they were. The prosecuter has gone out of his way to make his own website. I am appalled at how this man has been treated. He did not kill his daughter! Sanders did. Why were they tried together? Cope should not have even been charged. And the judge is just as evil and crooked as the pros....and not to mention Simmons.....has there been any investigation into Mrs Copes death? Makes me wonder if she was murdered too! Cope should be free!

That website basically says "don't accept anything that wasn't brought up in the actual trial", which is totally ridiculous considering the judge obstructed the defense's ability to present all the facts, the jury was inept (or bought), and the cops regularly broke the law during the investigation.

I am appalled that the prosecution is even able to coordinate with jury members long after the trial.

and to the person who is so against dateline (Bracket?)
Where is the evidence of sexual abuse? Yes these kids lived in a filthy house raised by obviously ignorant people......but where is the proof of abuse? Neglect....yes but again maybe the state should have followed up with these people....but there was no evidence these children were being harmed. To make the accusation of sex abuse and ejaculation on the body when there is no DNA to support that anyone other than Sanders ejaculated on her is ridiculous! This poor girl. I do not believe this man is guilty.....too many things show he is not guilty.....he should be released immediately.

I just read the entire autopsy report, and no where in there does it say that there is evidence of past sexual abuse. The part where it says "there was evidence of repeated and massive trauma to the regions of the head, neck, abdomen, and perineum" is talking about what happened to her the night she was killed. ALL of those areas had extensive and massive trauma, not just her vaginal area. I worked in the medical field and know how to read these reports and doctors reports, and there is absolutely no claim of past sexual abuse in this autopsy report. Sorry Derek, we came to an understanding on the other stuff we talked about, but on this you are wrong completely.

I am absolutely blown away by this story! I am not an American and thank Dateline for drawing attention worldwide to this case. This is when I totally wish I had become a lawyer and offered my services for free (not saying I could have done a better job than his current defense team) as they did every thing they possibly could and left no stone unturned. Hats off to the defense team!
The entire case was mishandled from the start. Was the county really going to overturn a decision that they messed up from the beginning and SET UP to accuse an innocent man...ofcourse not!! That would further prove the corruption of the investigation team, prosecutors, judge and Amy. These people will have to live with their actions for the rest of their lives. God does know what these people did and they will have to live with that guilt. I would really love to know what really happened to Mrs. Cope!!!! Mr. Cope, all I can say is keep your head high cause your defense team will come through for you. You are the only one here who does not have to live with any guilt and the true Christian that you are, God will be by your side. I can't imagine what it must be like to have your entire life turned upside down, to lose your entire family overnight but stand strong and we will stand with you.
hmmmmm......Was the jury paid to come up with a guilty verdict??Amy was obviously paid, maybe not with money, but a bargain to relequish her from her charges. I'ts the only explanation I can offer myself....It makes no sense any other way. NONE AT ALL!!! Since corruption was evident from the beginning, nothing would surprise me.

Billy Wayne cope WILL rot in hell where he belongs, it's just a shame that he can't be brutally tortured and raped before he gets there!

How about justice for the victims of Amy Simmons?

It's a shame that those backwoods good-ole boys..did such a horrible thing. They will see karma..from the judge right down to the jury for putting an innocent man in prison just because they don't know right from wrong. You can't make an informed decision without all the facts..!!

Thank god I do not live in S.C., it seems that the Good Old Boys are alive and well, the prosecutor, judge, and law officials seem to have gone to the same school and all completed the eighth grade!
If I did live in S.C. I would move I'd be too ashamed to tell anyone,this case is pretty simple (just like the jury) look at the facts,look at the evidence,deliberate for 2 hours and come back Not Guilty for Mr. Cope.
Thank goodness I live in Washington

OMG..what has happened to this man is just pitiful...and our government and law wants us to continue to trust them...and look how far it has gone for this guy...amazing and so, so sad for this person..I hope and pray he will be able to forgive these ignorant people who have taken a father from his children, and so much..God bless these lawyers who are working with him, god bless them and empower them..

VIEW THIS! http://www.billywaynecope.com/

I have read all of the court documents. I invite you to as well. This man does not deserve to ever see his 2 remaining daughters again. Look at the pictures of the living conditions when the daughter was found (such a disaster, dildo on the floor, cracked floor, food on the floor), not liveable. Also, read the 1999 case of neglect (tub through the floor, kids with ant bites and Lice, 20 trash bags full with maggots, toilet not functioning. These people should have been thrown in jail in 1999 with not being allowed to see the 3 kids again. And Larry Sanders DID know Billy, the daughter (Jessica) says she saw them giggling in the grocery store whenever they ran into eachother. Even if he did not KILL Amanda, he should be in jail for LIFE for the way he treated those poor girls, he is a horrible horrible man. Also, he admits in the court documents to masterbating over Amanda on several occasions. I was swayed by the Dateline episode myself, they claim in that they "moved to a new home and got everything together". LOOK AT THE PICTURES PEOPLE! READ THE ENTIRE COURT DOCUMENTS/STATEMENTS!. Her autuopsy also showed evidence of past sexual abuse as well (read the autopsy report.

This man does NOT deserve to be free. And before I get negative replies, read and watch EVERYTHING on that site, and then comment. And before this comment gets DELETED by the page admin (if that happens) just know this, you will be shutting out a comment from a person who is now 27 years old, and was neglected as bad or worse then the copes kids were. Someone who has spent most of his life picking up the pieces, and whos parents should be locked up. The emotional/physical pain my two brothers and I endured will never be reversed, we are changed forever. You post a picture up on the home page of him as a innocent man with his family, and stating that he is a good man. THOSE WHO POST DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THE ABOVE SITE!

Thank you

-Derek

His daughters are far from objective. They were too young to make an informed decision and were whisked away from their father's influence and given the same evidence the jury was given. These young girls were traumatized by their parents (neglect and the possibility of sexual abuse) and the prosecutor all to willing to pursue murder charges.

Hi Derek,

I don't, in any way, want to sound insensitive to your situation or the lack of objectivity you have - for good reason. But, the law is the law. Prosecutors bring charges against a person and then go about proving those charges. I have seen almost all of the prosecutions case. I have also carefully read the appeal that was sent to the Court of Appeals. As one who has studied the law, politics, psychology, and the criminal justice system - I feel able to put an objective two cents into this tragedy.

1. The justice system must present evidence that supports the charge of murder. They have not, and in light of the conspiracy charge being dropped by the Court of Appeals (which was a correct ruling), it severely weakens the prosecutions case. Without being a conspirator with James Sanders (who had a multitude of evidence against him - DNA, prior similar convictions of rape and breaking and entering, proximity) the case against Cope falls apart.

2. The issue of the hymen is compelling toward a history of sexual abuse. There are circumstances that would lead to a possibility of reasonable doubt. But, the clincher here is that the state was not trying Cope on this charge.

3. The state was not trying Cope on a charge of neglect. Granted, Child Protective Services could have intervened and if the investigation found enough evidence of neglect and abuse the children should have been removed from the home. But, once again, this is not a trial for neglect or abuse. This is a murder trial.

4. The constitution of the United States of America is clear on the due process of law. It protects people like Cope, who may very well deserve to have a sound lesson on housekeeping and raising children. And even perhaps the issue of prior sexual abuse should be brought before a grand jury - which is the due process of law - and would meet the high standard of Constitutional Law.

We must be careful to protect our rights. By allowing the police to focus on a family member so early in the investigation and , by allowing the police to deny proper legal counsel in a timely manner, by allowing the exclusion of evidence, and by allowing appellate judges to overlook obvious flaws in cases - we lose as a nation of persons who love freedom.

I agree 100% with what you wrote above. I have seen to many trials where the issue is clouded by bias, hearsay, possibilities, etc. It seems to me that one is now guilty until proven innocent in our country, not the way it is supposed to be. People also need to look at how many convicted persons who gave a 'confession' were later exonerated when DNA became available.
One of the biggest miscarriages I see is that the police want the truth from people, but they can lie, deceive, manipulate, and just about do anything they want in an interrogation. If WE have to tell the truth, then the police must use the same methods. I've watched interrogations where police feed the information to the suspect and use it against them, or when they type up the interrogation, they add things that were not said by the suspect and they get them to sign it without reading it. I fully understand police want to protect their citizens from criminals, but the good ones don't jump on the first suspect and build a case around them, they gather all the facts and see what suspect it leads them to.
I also believe that to many trials are being won on just 'circumstantial' evidence. There should at least be one sound piece of corroborating evidence to go with it.
Too many police think they are doing something good, and all they do is something very bad (eg. the Wenatchee Sex Ring). And depending if your poor or rich also depends on the outcome of your case. it is a TRAVESTY what our judicial system has become, and it needs to be overhauled and fixed. Our founding fathers must be rolling in their graves as to what is going on in our court systems.
Billy Wayne Copes was railroaded in his trial I believe, I've read the court papers and watched the Dateline Show it. To many unanswered questions, and the prosecution muddied the waters with facts that had nothing to do with a murder case. They get the jury to hate the defendant, and the verdict is based on emotions rather than on the facts. I hope some judge will really look at the case and see it for what it is and set him free, or at least give him a fair trial.

My comments above were made to Carolina Constutionalist, not to Derek.
But since I'm here, I might as well say something to Derek. You are a very impassioned individual and a survivor of child abuse of all kinds. So am I. And we need people like you to keep a vigilante eye open for those to come along. I won't say that Billy Cope should get father of the year award; but people live the way they do generally by learned experience from their parents or whoever raised them. Income, education, their childhood all come into play. It takes a very strong willed, intelligent, heart filled with fire individual to break the chains of abuse. So Billy is not lily white, but neither is he guilty of murder. Unless you want to re write the Constitution and The Bill of Rights? But those two things are what guarantee you the liberty to say what you feel, and you have to understand that there are those who are going to disagree with you and you need to allow them the same guarantee. On the grounds of evidence for murder or rape, there was not enough evidence to convict "beyond a reasonable doubt" in as much as I have read and learned about the trial.. As for his "confession", we all know they can be coerced by the police using dirty tactics. Read my post above to Carolina for my views on that subject.
I applaud your work and your ideals, and I to pray that you keep doing what your doing for the sake of our little ones.

My comments above were made to Carolina Constutionalist, not to Derek.
But since I'm here, I might as well say something to Derek. You are a very impassioned individual and a survivor of child abuse of all kinds. So am I. And we need people like you to keep a vigilante eye open for those to come along. I won't say that Billy Cope should get father of the year award; but people live the way they do generally by learned experience from their parents or whoever raised them. Income, education, their childhood all come into play. It takes a very strong willed, intelligent, heart filled with fire individual to break the chains of abuse. So Billy is not lily white, but neither is he guilty of murder. Unless you want to re write the Constitution and The Bill of Rights? But those two things are what guarantee you the liberty to say what you feel, and you have to understand that there are those who are going to disagree with you and you need to allow them the same guarantee. On the grounds of evidence for murder or rape, there was not enough evidence to convict "beyond a reasonable doubt" in as much as I have read and learned about the trial.. As for his "confession", we all know they can be coerced by the police using dirty tactics. Read my post above to Carolina for my views on that subject.
I applaud your work and your ideals, and I to pray that you keep doing what your doing for the sake of our little ones.

Derek, come on brother. Being a bad or neglectful parent does not warrant life in prison. If it did we would have to have a prison on every other corner. He was a terrible parent I agree, he should not have had custody of his children, I agree; but if one is to punish someone for doing something wrong, then his children should have been removed from the house. Being a bad parent is not a crime in this country, and that is all he is guilty of. The people who don't understand like before, just let them be. Getting yourself all tore up over and over again just messes up your life and you. If they can't see and agree what you and I saw and agreed upon, maybe they'll eventually keep reading all the posts and get to the ones where you and I discussed this before, then maybe they'll understand. I wish you well Derek.... Peace.

No, everyone in SC is not slow. But, I wonder about SC jurors and judges.

Posting this again so people can reply if they want

Here is the bottom line:

Sites like this (with the picture of him with his family) painting him an INNOCENT man done wrong, is steering people. Even if he DID NOT actually murder her, he is a sick man that does not deserve this site. It is obvious that Dateline wanted to paint the picture a certain way for ratings (and boy did it work) leaving out the glaring facts that this man was a sick, disgusting, neglectful, perverted human being. He was faces 3 counts of neglect which could have landed him 10 years in prison for each count in 1999, thats 30 years, and he should have been locked up when this murder occured. I don't want to hear about justice, he was let off the hook in 1999 (read the description of the living conditions, then look at them in 2001). The conspiracy charge aside, this man should have been in prison. But for all of you who FEEL BAD for him (im not saying all of you that post, because some of you are just mad at the system) you should be EQUALLY as upset aty the system FAILING in 1999 by not locking this man and his wife up. I had a similar case where my parents were facing 20 years, and the system failed there too. Fight the system in general for not locking him up before, and then feeling like they had to makeup a conspiracy to put him away.

Bottom line, he should be in jail. For sexual abuse of his daughter, the neglect of all of his children, period. By the way, DO NOT tell be the two other children were too young to understand or grasp what was going on, I am a member of Prevent Child Abuse America and not only do I remember most everything that happened between the ages of 6-10, but I also knew it was WRONG and even more WRONG now, and the same with other kids we talk to and see who have gone through similar circumstances. There should be more people disgusted about who this man is, and how it failed in 1999, then how it failed in 2001.

And Carolina, I respect your post, and I am glad you looked at the whole site. I am trying to establish the failure of the system in all aspects. But lets not forget that the picture of him on the front of this site, the text on the front page, the same with the facebook pages, paints him to be a man who should be reuinted with his family and who was done wrong. This is far from the truth.

My comments above were made to Carolina Constutionalist, not to Derek.
But since I'm here, I might as well say something to Derek. You are a very impassioned individual and a survivor of child abuse of all kinds. So am I. And we need people like you to keep a vigilante eye open for those to come along. I won't say that Billy Cope should get father of the year award; but people live the way they do generally by learned experience from their parents or whoever raised them. Income, education, their childhood all come into play. It takes a very strong willed, intelligent, heart filled with fire individual to break the chains of abuse. So Billy is not lily white, but neither is he guilty of murder. Unless you want to re write the Constitution and The Bill of Rights? But those two things are what guarantee you the liberty to say what you feel, and you have to understand that there are those who are going to disagree with you and you need to allow them the same guarantee. On the grounds of evidence for murder or rape, there was not enough evidence to convict "beyond a reasonable doubt" in as much as I have read and learned about the trial.. As for his "confession", we all know they can be coerced by the police using dirty tactics. Read my post above to Carolina for my views on that subject.
I applaud your work and your ideals, and I to pray that you keep doing what your doing for the sake of our little ones.

You are a very impassioned individual and a survivor of child abuse of all kinds. So am I. And we need people like you to keep a vigilante eye open for those to come along. I won't say that Billy Cope should get father of the year award; but people live the way they do generally by learned experience from their parents or whoever raised them. Income, education, their childhood all come into play. It takes a very strong willed, intelligent, heart filled with fire individual to break the chains of abuse. So Billy is not lily white, but neither is he guilty of murder. Unless you want to re write the Constitution and The Bill of Rights? But those two things are what guarantee you the liberty to say what you feel, and you have to understand that there are those who are going to disagree with you and you need to allow them the same guarantee. On the grounds of evidence for murder or rape, there was not enough evidence to convict "beyond a reasonable doubt" in as much as I have read and learned about the trial.. As for his "confession", we all know they can be coerced by the police using dirty tactics. Read my post above to Carolina for my views on that subject.
I applaud your work and your ideals, and I to pray that you keep doing what your doing for the sake of our little ones.

He also talks about how he masturbated that night and came in a blue towel, NOT ON AMANDA. He said he woke up at 3am, had an erection, and came in her bedroom, and cleaned up with a towel. He also states in an interview that he was lonely cause his wife had been away, so that is why he molested Amanda... DO NOT BACK THIS MAN!

Right on Jack.

Hi Derek,

Congratulations on your volunteering with Prevent Child Abuse America and an equal congrat on your passion. The world needs more people who are concerned with the rights of the oppressed, whether they are children or the wrongfully convicted.

This is a case of wrongful conviction. It is clearly full of people who saw this tragedy and felt a passion for finding the murderer and giving that person or persons justice. In their (the gov.) passions they made mistakes. Those mistakes spread a wide gambit and Dateline was easily able to point these out.

To someone who has an emotional tie to a terrible childhood and works within child advocacy this case looks different than the person who objectively sees the evidence. Unfortunately in this case the police, prosecutor, trial judge, and appellate judges operated on emotion and then operated on, what I can only assume, a fear of being wrong - hence the prosecutors web site and the Appellate Courts decision not to grant a new trial (even after throwing out the conspiracy which was the crux of the prosecution).

Derek, the problem with your impassioned plea for justice is that child abuse and sexual abuse was not on the table for the jury; Murder, Conspiracy, and Rape was. The only charge that should have had any chance of a guilty verdict was the rape, however this charge had, what I feel, a degree of reasonable doubt. I have not seen any evidence of rape in the testimony and perhaps this should have been an avenue opened by the prosecution in the murder/rape trial. But, it was not. Which leaves us with the 1999 verdict of child neglect because the home was messy (and I must admit now that I have not looked at this case and so there might be more to that story). Yes, Child Protective Services should take children out of homes that are in the condition found in Cope's trailer in 1999 and his home, as seen by all concerned at the murder scene of poor sweet Amanda (and no, I am not trying to sound sarcastic - THIS IS A HORRIFIC TRAGEDY).

Could this have been prevented? Perhaps in a cosmic, God fearing, puzzle of a life we lead it could have - CPS and the powers that be could have removed the children from the home and moved them into a foster home permanently. But we are no longer talking about the law, we are talking "what ifs". The study of children has shown they are better off at "home" so the powers that be err to this premise.

I have a family member who reminds me of the show about hoarders. They raised five children in a condition similar to Cope's. The one positive thing that I know from this experience is that they are ALL excellent housekeepers and seem normal to me. I, too, suffer from clutter.

Anyway Derek, my best to you. May God truly bless you. You will never know who you save by your passion, so do not stop!

You agree that he deserves a fair trial, which is good!

Let me clarify this statement made above: "I have not seen any evidence of rape in the testimony". I want to add to this - there was no evidence that Cope committed this rape and murder, other than the confession that should be thrown out because it was obtained without legal counsel, and had all the earmarks of a coerced confession.

Once again, the prior sexual abuse was proven in the autopsy. And Amanda was not alive to testify to that fact. The children also were never allowed to talk about this in court. He plead guilty to all counts in the 1999 case, where he face 30 years, and got 5 years probabtion, that should be fought equally to this murder charge. Once again, the point is, this is a SICK PERVERTED man who should be behind bars, and doesnt deserve any encouragement or support from anyone.

“I woke up about 3:00a.m., I went to the bathroom, then I went into Amanda’s room. I had a hard on, I jacked off in the floor, then I used a blue towel to clean up. I started going into Amanda’s room about the end of October thru the first part of November playing with her and rubbing her and fingering her while she was asleep. Amanda was asleep on her stomach. I think the dildo inside her is what woke her up”

“When I put my fingers inside Amanda, I pulled her pants and panties down and I used my two fingers, I could have jammed my hand inside her. I remember I had watered down jelly on my fingers. Around the first of October was when I started messing with Amanda at night while she was asleep and I would go into her bedroom and I would finger her and use a dildo on her. I did this many times”

Thats from his typed confession, he goes into details that have nothing to do with that night. He even talks about being able to fit a whole hand up there. He should be jailed for life, period.

Micheala, what are you talking about? I said he claimed he could have fit it up there if he wanted too, not that he did. And they didn't say Amanda didn't know she was getting molested, that had no way of asking, she was dead. The daughter Jessica says he did molest her. And have I ever heard him talk? Yes I listened to all the testimony, his confessions, his walkthrough, everything. Don't defend this Monster

Once again, I did not say he murdered his daughter. And the autopsy report shows FORCE with the hemmorhaging of the vagina, and the opening. His own two remaining daughter (one 11 at the time of the murder) will not fight for him, and want nothing to do with support groups for him. In the jailers report he even said "I want to talk with the warden, I want to tell him the things I did too my other daughters". That was NOT forced, he tried to volunteer that information. Daughter Jessica is an adult now, and in 2010 at the age of 18 she still stood by the fact that Cope deserves to be locked up. My past is not influencing my stance on this case, I am going to by the actual facts of the case. And yes, neglecting your children to the point where it threatens there lives for years deserves a very HARSH sentence. Ignorant and gullible is not an excuse for anything that happened with those children.

With the autopsy evidence showing prior sexual abuse (abuse Amanda COULD NOT have done to herself), and the horrible neglect of the children, this man should be locked up for a LONG TIME. That is my point... once again. Also, I was in lengthy discussion with Billy Wayne Copes sister Susan Archie on a facebook page and she couldnt even stand up for him against the many of the claims, and thats his blood. In the end she ended up deleting her Facebook.

I am still appalled you stand by this monster of a human being

You are a very impassioned individual and a survivor of child abuse of all kinds. So am I. And we need people like you to keep a vigilante eye open for those to come along. I won't say that Billy Cope should get father of the year award; but people live the way they do generally by learned experience from their parents or whoever raised them. Income, education, their childhood all come into play.
It takes a very strong willed, intelligent, heart filled with fire individual to break the chains of abuse. So Billy is not lily white, but neither is he guilty of murder. Unless you want to re write the Constitution and The Bill of Rights? But those two things are what guarantee you the liberty to say what you want, and you have to understand that there are those who are going to disagree with you and you need to allow them the same guarantee.
On the grounds of evidence for murder or rape, there was not enough evidence to convict "beyond a reasonable doubt" in as much as I have read and learned about the trial.. As for his "confession", we all know they can be coerced by the police using dirty tactics, Billy didn't type any confession, the police do that, then throw it in front of you and tell you to sign it. And as far as him "having his whole hand in there", I was a nurse until I became disabled, and that is difficult to do on a full grown woman, and I would say impossible a child without completely tearing her open, and there was no such evidence found. This sounds like a police typed confession that they made him sign. You have to look at all the little nuances in confessions to see if they really are reasonable. Being that police can do whatever they want in an interrogation is appalling to me. Read my post above to Carolina for my views on that subject.
I applaud your work and your ideals, and I to pray that you keep doing what your doing for the sake of our little ones.

Derek!!!!

You have earlier stated that the 1999 trial showed sexual abuse and that is WRONG! I wanted to further fact check this and guess what?

Pg 28, Lines 7 - 12 of the 1999 transcript reads:

"Your honor, if I could add --- If it please the court, I think the record is also very clear, there is absolutely no evidence of any actual abuse, and there's no indication of any sort of sexual activity at all, just ---- just the neglect.

The Court - I understand that."

So, Derek -- what gives with that?

This is what I said!

"He was faces 3 counts of neglect which could have landed him 10 years in prison for each count in 1999, thats 30 years"

Fight the system do not fight for the man!!!!!!

Yes, this is neglect. Without the coerced confession there is not a case for sexual abuse.

Neglect is seldom punished with prison time. The punishment here, which is the pity, is that you are making a connection between the rape and murder of Amanda and the 1999 conviction for neglect. It can easily be argued that the two are coincidental.

The greater pity is that the judge did not allow the jury to hear expert testimony on coerced confessions. The jury was not given a chance to make an informed decision based on a diligent defense.

Also, in the post above you quote that someone (you don't state who) is quoted as saying: "the children were examined by medical doctors and they were found to be in relatively good health considering what they had been living in". Based on this, I wouldn't want to put someone in jail for the consecutive jail time of 30 years. With hind site being 20/20 we could say it would be nice if we did and Amanda would still be living because she would not be living in the house she was in, but those are things of Science FICTION because it implies that we have a crystal ball. If we put everyone in jail for the "could be" prosecution (which we are headed toward) we would have over a million people in prison - oh, we do have over a million in prison (sarcasm included).

I am in favor of toughening the laws on child neglect and cases where physical evidence is available. I am also in favor of sentencing people like the person who actually raped and killed Amanda to death.

I am also in favor of toughening the laws and sanction processes concerned with judicial and prosecutorial misconduct.

So, you want to put a man in prison for something he was not proven to do because you feel he did something horrible and was criminally messy. This and your emotional posts are priceless. One day you may wake up and find yourself in need of someone objective and if you'd have your way they wouldn't exist.

I like the adversarial aspect of the law and the press. It keeps governments honest.

You ignore the point, you maam, are not "trainable". And your outbursts/sarcasm/insults came first. You are a joke, period.

I see Derik. You feel that I ignore a false confession or the actual evidence that did not support this confession. You are wrong on so many counts. You don't have much to add to any discussion so you resort to some ignorant rant. If I were you, and your past sexual abuse as a child, I would not go to sites like this, nor would I go to sites like the DA has and read about this case. It seems to have disturbed you. You should try to talk to someone and if you can't afford to see someone, you might try the county mental health office.

First, a little housekeeping shall we: Dirick - you are a fool. You rant the same stuff over and over and I guess you think your making progress. Second, I should have said negligence instead of sexual abuse, but for the life of me I would have thought a whiny punk like you had been getting it the wrong way (I mean, right way if your a homo - I hate being politically incorrect (sarcasm intended)). I will not respond to your posts and it is probably time to prevent either of us from posting which means you can come back on as whatever....perhaps even someone knowledgeable. I'm going to continue to post things that are highly suspicious in this tragic case. I'll go on and start on the next post because this one has a high likelihood of being taken down, which is a pity because you are so entertaining. I know you'll read this because you have this uncanny ability to respond within minutes to my posts, which by the way shows you are 26 year old glued to the computer. There is a good drug for you - it's called maturity. Cheers!

Wow, you really do not pay attention at all. I said that the system is flawed, and that it wasn't a fair trial, and I did not argue against the polygraph, or say that Larry Sanders didn't murder her. Pay attention!! Let's try this again. I SAID that people should fight the system for the mistakes they made in 1999 and 01, because it is flawed, but do not depict this man ad innocent or a family man. I clearly stated he violated his 5 year probation sentance with the condition of the home in 2001, therefore he was facing good time anyway,and then the autopsy showing the prior sexual abuse on Amanda, and put that with his detailed decription of what he did to her, and he is put away for a long time. You are a ignoramous and sound more foolish with every post. As I've said many times people, fight the flawed system but don't fight for Billy who was a sick, twisted, neglectful child molester who should have been locked up anyway. What garbage will you spew next? Can't wait.

His daughters want nothing to do with him ever again, and his own daughter Jessica made a statement in 2010 stating that. The autopsy evidence shows prior sexual abuse (enlarged vagina/anus, serious past hemhorraging, removal of Hyman prior to the sexual assault in 2001). He was facing 30 years in 1999 on 3 counts for neglected his children in such a way that threatened there lives/wellbeing (open buckets of human waste (15) all over the house), including buckets that sat right next the heads of Jessican and Amanda while they were sleeping. Fire ant bites all over the children, lice, trash everywhere, a bowl of food with 3 spoons in it that the children had to share as there ownly source of food, tub through the floor, etc etc. This is all documented through pictures viewable on the web. They 5 years probation in 1999 instead of prision time. In 2001 (2 years into the sentance) the day of the murder it was discovered that there were roaches everywhere, the children all had Lice, the living conditions were labeled not liveable, there was spoiled food/catshit everywhere, trash everyone, a busted floor and the windows looked like they had never been cleaned. Just for the neglect part which they violated there probation they would have the kids taken away and put away for AWHILE, add in the evidence of sexual assault and Billy saying "he could fit a whole hand up there", and went into detail what he did to her (including using the dildo on her over a 2 month period) would corrobrate with the autopsy evidence. Fight the system for the issues it has, it was not a fair trial, fight for the mistakes it made in 1999 by not locking Billy and Marysue up, but do not call this man INNOCENT and support sites that paint a picture of a family man done wrong. He deserves to be locked up, period. He may not have committed the actualy murder, but this man does not deserve to be called innocent.

Right... once again.... I said that it wasnt handled correctly and the trial wasnt fair... I said fight the system but don't call Billy Wayne Cope an innocent man, or a family man, or someone that should be free. He violated his 1999 probation, prior sexual abuse was proven in the autopsy, the 2001 crime scene photos and testimony from dr. maynard calling the living conditions "the worst hes ever seen" (proving the violation of his 5 year probation). This man is neglected/endangered the lives of his 3 children, and sexually abused his oldest daughter.

Once again... pay attention to what I am saying. Thank you

I just watched the Dateline Episode on this case which I saw for the first time, and I was so pissed by the time it finished. It just goes to show you how fucked up our justice system is. Its not you are innocent until proven guilty, its you are guilty until proven innocent, and even then you have stupid prosecutors and a moron who is a judge that will hold evidence from jurors to help the prosecution. The jury is also another bunch of morons who already made up their minds before even listening to the evidence. I hope to God this man gets out of prison, and sues the hell out of all of them.

I just finished watching the Dateline episode, and can't beleive this man is still in prison. I'm reading that some posters on here are making comments about the previous child abuse deal. This case isn't about the prior abuse. it's about the evidence that dosen't convict Mr. Cope of the charges of murder. I am outraged about the whole case and will do anything I can to see that he is set free. Any additional information from the site administrator or anyone else on this case would be helpful. I usually don't waste my time with things like this, but I was so mad after the two hour Dateline part that I had to Google and see if this man had a group of supporters.

Thanks

I'm in favor of having a new prosecutor in York County.... Let's keep in touch on this. I'll post his opponents name and perhaps we can send him or her a BIG check.

I watched the prosecution's response to the Dateline investigation and all I can say is makes me question them that much more. The solicitor refused to speak to Dateline because their story would not be "Favorable" to the prosecution. Are they not the ones who say "if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear". I would be willing to bet this line was used on the defendant, and should also apply to the prosecutor. In his 10 minute video, he pointed out that the jury's interviews were edited. Well, that is reasonable for production of any show. This is NOT proof he said it was in order to debunk their investigation. I think most reasonable people realize that he is so heavily invested in the idea Billy Cope is the murderer, that he cannot consider that the police might have railroaded the defendant into false confessions. I do believe it is possible that a weak minded person could be tricked into giving false confessions by professional interrogators who are whole-heartedly attempting to get a confession. The question here is simply is the prosecutor so invested into backing up the police investigation that he cannot possibly be fair and objective? This is the exact argument he uses against the Dateline investigation not being favorable to the prosecution.

This is one of the saddest cases I have ever seen. Amanda, Billy, his wife, his other children. They, who are still living, are all greiving. Billy, who is serving life (which I feel will be reversed, because I belive in the Justice System) is sitting in a horrible jail waiting.

I bet he will write me back. I am going to use the following address and then I'll post it!

Billy Wayne Cope, 00305035
Lee Correctional Institution
990 Wisacky Highway
Bishopville, SC 29010

God Bless us all, because we need it with the quality of justice in SC.

Since you have info on your post, here's all the info associated with the other site.

Registrant:
16th Circuit Solicitor's Office
1675-1A York Highway
York, South Carolina 29745
United States

Registered through: Go Daddy
Domain Name: BILLYWAYNECOPE.COM
Created on: 12-Jul-10
Expires on: 12-Jul-12
Last Updated on: 14-Jun-11

Administrative Contact:
Sanders, David David.Sanders@yorkcountygov.com
16th Circuit Solicitor's Office
1675-1A York Highway
York, South Carolina 29745
United States
8036283020 Fax -- 8036283025

Technical Contact:
Sanders, David David.Sanders@yorkcountygov.com
16th Circuit Solicitor's Office
1675-1A York Highway
York, South Carolina 29745
United States
8036283020 Fax -- 8036283025

Here's the contact info for the pro website.

Registrant:
16th Circuit Solicitor's Office
1675-1A York Highway
York, South Carolina 29745
United States

Registered through: Go Daddy
Domain Name: BILLYWAYNECOPE.COM
Created on: 12-Jul-10
Expires on: 12-Jul-12
Last Updated on: 14-Jun-11

Administrative Contact:
Sanders, David David.Sanders@yorkcountygov.com
16th Circuit Solicitor's Office
1675-1A York Highway
York, South Carolina 29745
United States
8036283020 Fax -- 8036283025

Technical Contact:
Sanders, David David.Sanders@yorkcountygov.com
16th Circuit Solicitor's Office
1675-1A York Highway
York, South Carolina 29745
United States
8036283020 Fax -- 8036283025

Here's the contact info in the other site:


Registrant:
16th Circuit Solicitor's Office
1675-1A York Highway
York, South Carolina 29745
United States

Registered through: Go Daddy
Domain Name: BILLYWAYNECOPE.COM
Created on: 12-Jul-10
Expires on: 12-Jul-12
Last Updated on: 14-Jun-11

Administrative Contact:
Sanders, David David.Sanders@yorkcountygov.com
16th Circuit Solicitor's Office
1675-1A York Highway
York, South Carolina 29745
United States
8036283020 Fax -- 8036283025

Technical Contact:
Sanders, David David.Sanders@yorkcountygov.com
16th Circuit Solicitor's Office
1675-1A York Highway
York, South Carolina 29745
United States
8036283020 Fax -- 8036283025

I have read the complete transcripts of the trial and I not only have reasonable doubt, I am convinced Billy Cope is innocent of the murder. I sincerely believe this Billy Cope is weak minded, and was convinced that he would be convicted of murder and simply tried to mislead the investigators. I find the prosecution's constant changing of events all revolved around the notion that he was the murderer. When the facts showed that Sanders was the one who raped her, the prosecution then alleged that Sanders and Cope were both involved in the murder. RIDICULOUS!!! There is absolutely no proof that these 2 men ever knew each other before this crime, and due to extremely different personalities of the 2 men, I find it very hard to believe that these two men could ever even carry on a conversation with one other. The bottom line is this man is due another trial. And I am appalled at how this prosecutor, Kevin Brackett has handled this case. I always thought he was a good man, and I have voted for him in the past. I cannot vote for Brackett again after what I have learned about this total travesty of justice. Mr. Bracket is supposed to work for the citizens of York County, not working to cover up bad police investigations!

Here is Kristys "BOGUS" Case that the police made up in 1999.

His guilty plea in 1999 (facing 30 years)

“Your honor, the officers in the york county sheriff’s department became aware of this situation on June 2nd, 1999 when they received an anonymous call that reported that some minor victims were living in unfit conditions in their residence which was located on Rock Hill. When the officers arrived there, they found that there were three children, Amanda who is ten years old, as well as the parents, mr. and mrs. Cope, living in a mobile home that indeed was unfit. There were approximately twenty bags of trash stacked in the hallway of the mobile home and in the rooms of the mobile home stacked about two feet high, and there were about fifteen large buckets of human waste throughout the home. They found that the bathtub had fallen through the floor and that the toilet was non-functioning. The residence was also infested with bugs and fire ants and the children did not have any clean clothes at that time. The children were placed into protective custody. The officers took photographs at the home and, your honor, really the conditions defy a physical description, but verbal description. I have some photographs here, and I’d like to describe them to you and then hand them up so you know what you’re looking at. The very first picture is the entry into the home. There is a green Rubbermaid-type bucket in the front. That’s where the children were bathed because of the bathtub being fallen through the floor. As you look into the residence, you’ll see the end of the couch. The couch is where two of the --- I believe older children slept. The photograph I’m handing up now that’s been marked as number 2 shows the head of that couch where the children slept. At the end of that couch are several large buckets of human waste, urine and feces. There’s a closer-up view of the buckets that were right at the children’ heads as they slept. It’s states exhibit number 3. States exhibit number 4 shows walking in front of the couch looking back into the kitchen and it shows all of the trash, and in the middle of that trash you see a bucket of human waste. Exhibit number 5 shows a closer view of some of the buckets of waste and in one of the buckets of waste there are maggots growing. State’s exhibit number 6 shows the area of the kitchen and the trash and debris that’s lined up in front of the stive and the cabinets where you couldn’t even get to the sink and cabinets. States exhibit number 7 shows, apparently, there was some food in the home. There were no clean dishes, apparently, and all of the food was in one large container with three spoons or three forks --- three eating utensils in it. States exhibit number 8 is the bathroom, your honor. You’ll notice when you look at this photograph that the bathtub has fallen through the floor, and there is a Rubbermaid container sitting on top of the toilet that they had been using. And in all these pictures you’ll notice there are numerous two liter drink bottles laying around the home as well. States exhibit number 9 shows a view down the hallway that shows the trash and debri lined up with another bucket in the middle of the hallway. Number 10 is a closer-up view of that bucket with the drink bottles and everything around it. States exhibit 11 shows the bed where, I believe, Mr. and Mrs. Cope were sleeping and the youngest child Kyla who’s four was sleeping with them there. You’ll notice in that picture, and as well as the very first picture, the windows are broken out of the home. There is a sheriffs report where mrs. Cope had called back in 1997 and reported that vandals had broken the windows out, so these windows had been broken out for two years. States exhibit number 12 is a photograph of one of the children’s lower legs that shows the fire ant bites all up and down her legs. And states exhibit number 13 shows mr. copes computer, and given the condition of the trailer and the extreme condition of the trailer, that’s pretty well organized, and he has slots for all of his papers and things, and if you’ll note in front of the computer he is preparing for his churchs bulletin. That’s right there on his computer by his screen. Your honor, the children were examined by medical doctors and they were found to be in relatively good health considering what they had been living in. However, they were infested with Lice. All thee children required numerous treatments to rid themselves of lice, and they were eaten up by fire ants, as you saw. There were also --- one of the children also had a urinary tract infection”

Thank you, oh thank you Kris! Reading your reply is refreshing! I have been trying to think of a way to explain to Derek that he needs to allow the same freedoms he is given by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to others. I've read all his inputs, and the one I find most appalling is when he said Billy Cope typed a confession to having his complete hand inside his daughter.
As a former paramedic before I became disabled, that is physically impossible without completely destroying her.
Suspects do not type confessions, the police do; and they can type anything they want to, then put it in front of you and tell you to sign it without letting you read it.
I believe that if the police demand that we tell the truth, then they should have to follow the same rules; no lies, deceit, twisting words in a conversation, lack of sleep, denying council, all the little dirty tricks they use.
I am tired of police getting a suspect and building a case around him, instead of building the evidence to lead them to a suspect.
I am tired of judges allowing hearsay evidence into trials; convicting people on flimsy circumstantial evidence.
Hopefully a unbiased and fair judge will throw out Billy's conviction, or at least make sure he gets a fair trial on the facts, not emotions!
This country needs judicial reform in the biggest way. Our forefathers must be rolling in their graves at what is going on these days. This is not what they intended when they wrote those sacred articles of our Constitution and our Bill of Rights.

Way to go Kris! I have talked about this incident to many of my friends and all my family members. Some of my friends knew the Cope family and never believed any of the stories the prosecution or RHPD alleged. Most people want to believe in the police department, and in our system. I'm sure the members of the jury were no different.

I've said so many times prior, I didn't say he murdered her, and I said the system screwed up here, and needs a ton of work, so ill say AGAIN, that you are missing my point. I said he deserves to be locked up anyway, and does not deserve sites like this calling him "innocent" or getting encouraging letters. This site with the front photo depicts him a family man, and reminds me a lot of the dateline episode that left out so much. He shouldn't have gotten his kids back after 1999, and he violated his 5 years probation with the conditions of the home in 01, the system screwed up again by not checking in routinely like they should have! Fight the system on THAT.as well. The kids still had bugs on them, the place was a disaster. The children were malnurished and there was spoiled food all over the house. There are so many causes out there to put this type of effort into where you can really make an impact. Also, to clarify to a couple people who have insulted me, and even said I was part of the prosecution, the answer is no, I am not part of the prosecution. I am 27 from Nh, and saw the dateline show like everyone else, then did me research, and then even had a lengthy discussion with billy Wayne copes sister Susan Archie on FB. I SPENT MONTHS on this case researching its in and outs. I do not deserve to be insulted in defense of this MONSTER of a person.

Jenny, I am not an angry person, people have been jumping on me, I sympathize with your situation, and we also agree on a lot. Next time If you post though, can you just create a new post that shows up last on the bottom? I had a really tough time finding your post.

If you read all my posts, what u put at the end about it being wrong about him being convicted of this crime, I agreed with that over and over and it didn't really need to be said. I've also explained how my prior abuse isn't factoring into the facts that I have presented in his guilt of abuse and neglect. Thanks for the reply, and I'm glad so many people are still talking about this case over 10 years later.

Fair enough Derek. I am definitely not painting anyone as a saint. I'm just saying it's wrong to prosecute a parent for murdering their child when there is clear evidence of that another person is guilty of the crime. Coerced and forced confessions do exist, and it clearly happened here based on what I have seen. None of those coerced confessions fit the crime! And if the police would have allowed the the defense attorney to see his client, it NEVER would have happened. I'm sure the guy was terrified of the police and he said what they wanted to hear.

I completely agree with you Yvonne. I just can't get over the fact how the police and prosecutor really went overboard reaching for a reason to convict him of murder. If he deserves to be in jail for being an unfit parent, well then let him stand trial on those charges, and if he deserves to be in jail for those reasons, so be it. I just think convicting him of a murder that he didn't commit is not the right way to do it, Allowing police and prosecutors to railroad defendants for other crimes they didn't commit sets a very dangerous precedent. What's next? Convicting someone shoplifting a candy bar of armed bank robbery just because that person deserves to be in jail? A broken trust between our citizens and the police has extremely bad consequences in the long term. It puts the police themselves in a more dangerous position when the public distrusts them. Have you ever wondered why people lead police on high speed chases over otherwise minor offenses? Most likely because they they fear unfair treatment by the police for those minor offenses. I am concerned that good cops will have their reputations tarnished because of the actions of a few that feel they are above the law.

From Kris (Creator of the site)

"I am not afraid of you and your army of hide your head in the sand and pretend wrongs don't happen. You are a tyrant. You are a single minded thinker. You are a threat to all that is American and I will not lie down for you!"

These are the insults im talking about, the fact that I am a normal guy taking time out of my days to come on here and fight for abuse and neglect, and possibly rape, while still agreeing with you all about the system being screwed up, I am a tyrant/single minded thinker, and a threat to America. I'm sorry Kris, but this line of comments should raise a red flag to anyone who supports this site, since you are the creator, and have no control of your emotions.

Thank you to those who are able to message back and forth in a respectable way. I unfortunatly took her comments above seriously when I first saw them, and called her a disgrace, which is not something I normally do, name calling/insulting doesnt really solve anything.

Blonde Y,

I call it lazyness, and selfishness. THAT is different than mentally challenged. This man was able to hold a normal job, and for long periods of time, working with the public (Gas station job, I also believe he worked at Wal mart). Also, in his testimony, he was also a manager at a gas station, so he had to make decisions etc. He was able to obtain his DEGREE while in prison, and he had a associates degree before that as well (picture with his family). It;s not just cause it hits home Blonde, its the facts. But I will say this, the way the two daughters talk RIGHT NOW, is EXACLTY the way myself and two brothers talk about our parents right now, and we were roughly the same age as them as well. They were perfectly capable of knowing what was going on, and the rights and wrongs of it, AS WAS HE!!.

I would love to be able to talk to the two remaining daughters myself, just so I can hear what they are feeling, and what they remember. They are both adults now I believe.

I know you didn't insult me. I was just pointing that out. We will have to agree to disagree. If having porn on your computer and wanting to remove it before ANYONE finds out makes you a bad person then there are many, many guilty men and women. That is a totally normal reaction and has nothing to do with saving himself. He was raised in a strict religious situation and the shame would have been incredible. Same thing with the "masturbation rag". Again if everyone was held accountable for their sexual habits there would be too many to count.

I will ask you once more and then we can stop. If you were able to talk to his daughters and found them in a house that was dirty and unclean with kids that had lice would you blame them? If they are in that situation you would apply the same logic that they should know better right? I'm not saying they are but they might be and I'm just wondering if you would have compassion for them if they ended up in the same place.

I also feel like that if Billy were given another trial and he was found innocent that you would still hate him. I have no room for hate in my life. I feel compassion for all the lives destroyed. There's no need for more destruction and loss of life. With that I'm going to live in a more positive place where I spend most of my time anyway. I can't change a single thing that's happened and I will not spend any more time in a place that destroys what is beautiful in life. I believe he is innocent of murder and that's really all I can do or say.

"If you were able to talk to his daughters and found them in a house that was dirty and unclean with kids that had lice would you blame them? If they are in that situation you would apply the same logic that they should know better right?"

What? no. Kids at that age are freightened to say anything, and even if they know it is wrong, which obviously they did, they dont know what to do about it. That is for the responsible adults around them to come forward and try to take them away and do something about it (Like supposedly Susan Archie did). They could have done what should have been done, and take the children out of the home in 1999 for good, or, when the copes didnt clean up there act and were on probation, do the mandatory monthly checks on the home that were supposed to happen, and then take them away for good then. 9 times out of 10 a child will NOT go to the authorities or anyone else on the parents because of fear of the reprecussions, and because they have NO IDEA of how the system works. I can't believe you would even bring that arguement into this.

Also, it;s not that there were those things in the house, porn is fine, everybody masturbates, its the fact that he was scrambling doing that WHILE HIS DEAD DAUGHTER WAS IN THE OTHER ROOM, and while his two remaining daughters were sitting on the couch. He should have been with his two daughters consoling them, and with them with them with the authorities arrived. Not trying to HIDE things. Any innocent man, innocent father, would have been with his daughters at such a traumatic time. He was not.

And "You would still hate him"? I despise any man/woman who neglects, abuses, and possibly RAPES his children. Any man that is so selfish to keep his computer area clean, but make his children sleep next to human waste, and all eat out of the same bowl of food like animals.

You should agree with me than that he should be retried for the child abuse and neglect and possible rape of his children, with his children being asked to testify, and with the 99 case and the case of the home at the time of the murder, and the autopsy report being allowed in. He would be sentanced to life 25 years to life on those charges, and I have no doubt in my mind he would be convicted.

i wonder if the daughters have been coached in any way to believe false statements

Kimber, I agree with your post 100%

How can Amy Simmons get away with what she did and why does she have a Facebook account? Aren't felons (wasn't she convicted of crimes she spent no time for) supposed to stay away from Social Media sites?

FYI, there seems to be a problem with posting. When I tried, it said it wouldn't take, to try again. Which is why you will find multiple inputs over and over. Apparently it is taking the post, so just do it once folks...

I'm not going to bother with you anymore Derek until you tell me what it is I don't understand. You're a little man with a big chip on his shoulder. I know a lot about this trial and many other trials, I watch them on Court TV Live. And HOW DARE YOU tell me what I can or cannot talk about after all the crap you've tried to provoke on this site. And I'm not crazy, but short sighted sniveling little twits like you get my blood boiling! Grow up or go to a sight where people will agree with you and bow in deference to your purposed keen intellect.

Blonde, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't believe it was more than a messy house. I'm talking about the autopsy report that shows prior abuse that she couldn't have done to herself, the fact that the two daughters her were old enough to understand what was going on still support him being in prison, and the fact that there were 10 buckets of human waste in the home in 99, and the kids slept next to it, also made to share food with 3 spoons in abowl, basically treated like animals, were bug bitten and had no clean clothes etc etc, and nothing was learned at the time of the murder. This DOES NOT have to do with ME being abused, I just know where a 7-15 year old child could feel helpless and not know what to do.

You came at me first Texas advocate, and now have called me a twit, etc. In your reply to one of my posts you sound out of control and not educated. BTW, court tv live? Really? Christ we all have watched court tv from time to time I think. And they were just "messy"? No, just messy can be dishes in the sink, beds not done, carpet not vaccumed, the neglect threatened the lives of the 3 children. Please do not ramble on about points that well really arnt.... Points

Blonde I wasn't saying anything bad about Texas, I was just talking to the Texas advocate handle by the other guy

Texas, I agree with most everything you said, I have said in prior posts that the system screwed up, and I don't believe he commited the murder. And that he should be tried.seperatly for the neglect/abuse of his children. They were facing 30 years in 99, and violated there probation at time of murder, regardless he should be in jail for the treatment of his children, so we agree on that. He should be released on.murder charges and tried on neglect/abuse/sexual abuse.

I sympathize with your situation, trust me, it isn't easy to live with. And yes, experience makes you understand more what these people are going through, its not bragging trust me, I would give anything to have my childhood back. However, all I have stated was facts about the abuse and neglect that actual happened in.the cope home. Feel free to email me if you want.

For the people that keep saying to me "he didn't kill her", how many times have I agreed he did not? So let that go. im talking about sites like this painting him a family man (look at the picture on the main page), and leaving out so many bad things about this man. Once again, how do you think his two remaining daughters feel about his page? They show NO support, however they are in that picture. There are lines about trying to reunite him with his daughters, which he should never have contact with them again, nor do they want it.

The fact the creator of this site jumped all over me, called me names etc, shows something. I have done nothing but talk open up and talk about how I feel about the situation, and displayed points that actually most have come to agree with.

Once again, I do NOT believe he committed the murder of Amanda, but should be tried seperatly and convicted of child abuse/neglect and possibly rape. And serve that 30 year term MINIMUM for violating his 99 five year probation

Texas, thank you for the amazing post. I really appreciate you looking into what I said. I truly apologize for calling you crazy, I think we have a pretty good understanding.

I am not part of the prosecution, or some group etc. I'm just a guy for NH who really took this case seriously, it really took.me in. I'm not on this site for jollies, or on it cause I benefit In anyway, I'm on here because I care, because I care about the two remaining daughters. Sometimes I feel like some of my posts are all for defending them, because I do believe they look at this page from time to time, just like they watched the dateline show. I agree about your points about the retry if it was done. the autopsy results might not be strong enough for the sexual abuse to be proven. However in my heart I believe that it did happen. The system screwed up all the way around. The system is a joke, it makes no sense.

Once again, thanks for reading all my posts, and once again my apologies for calling you crazy. Thank you for being on here and caring too, the world could use more people that are Passionate about things like this.

Jon made some excellent suggestions. Take his help because you do have the passion and you need to let someone help you present it in a way that it will get far more attention. What an awesome gift from someone that can help you!

I think you're awesome Brian Cobbs! Especially since you are a conservative Republican former prosecutor! Best post of all!

Dear Brian, as a fellow conservative republican & SC resident, let me just say.. YOU NAILED IT.

Who is the author of this site? Thanks for all the work you did.

Does anyone have an address that we could send mail/money for the commissary to Billy?

Hi Blonde Yvonne,

So Billy's address is:

Billy Wayne Cope #00305035
Lee Correctional Institution
990 Wisacky Highway
Bishopville, SC 29010

I'm sending him a letter, and encourage everyone else to do the same! It only takes 5 minutes to let him know that you believe in him, and that we're praying for his appeals. I'm sure it will mean a lot to him.

Regarding solicitor Brackett:

I'm looking up now whether he is violating any South Carolina rules of professional conduct with his website under two grounds:

(1) Appropriating the name of Billy Wayne Cope (BillyWayneCope.com); or

(2) Attempting to influence a matter pending before the appeals courts.

I'm not sure if either apply, but I'll do my due diligence and see what I can find.

On the other hand, his website is so pathetic (citing anonymous comments at the Dateline Website as evidence), I almost want it to stay visible.

Keep up the good work!

OK Brian Cobbs....I think I'm in love now. How cool would it be if the other site broke some laws? That was another question I asked. I've never seen a case shared like this online. Thank you for taking your time to help.

I'm just browsing around your site for the first time, interesting read

Ronnie many of us have said the exact same thing. When I last posted the same thing in April I believe she still had a Facebook account. I think she could have killed her for something as simple as her pain killers and to get her out of the way. She is absolutely about as low as you can get.

I have watched the Dateline episode numerous times and I am appallled that this conviction has not been overturned. The website set up by the prosecutor of this case is the most egregious and unprofessional behavior I have ever seen in a case. Someone needs to contact the Board of Professional Responsibility that oversees lawyers and prosecutors and make a complaint. The prosecutor has overstepped his bounds, as well as the ethical standards set by prosecutors when he created the website, especially since Billy Wayne Cope is still appealing his conviction. If Billy Wayne Cope is successful in an appeal to get a new trial, this prosecutor has potentially tainted a future jury pool with this behavior. I still shake my head at this case. The prosecutor did not want to try this case in the court of public opinion, but that is exactly what he is doing with the website, since his case was weak to start with. I dont know if his website is legal, but I do believe it is unethical and should be taken down until Cope's appeals are exhausted. Shame on this prosecutor. I think a petition to remove this man from office should be forthcoming. With this case alone, I think at the least, all his cases NEED to be gone over with a fine tooth comb, as well as anyone associated with this case--prosecutors, judge, and police officers. This case is riddled with errors, and hopefully one day Billy will win a successful appeal.

One on my concerns is the women who his wife was staying with after surgery. The wife died, but it was never reported how she died. Did the family friend give her a fatal shot of insulin. She has done that in the past, and being weak from surgery her body could not handle the insulin. Did she possible give it to her to get closer to Billy? Was this her plan all along? Is there any way you can test the wife's body?

the oldest living daughter can't stand her own father, not because of past experiences, but because of the lies Tommy Pope and Kevin Brackett (solicitors) told her.

Free Billy! Let's hope that our South Carolina Supreme Court will have the courage to do the right thing unlike former solicitor, Tommy Pope and current solicitor, Kevin Brackett. They are a disgrace to our state.

Until I experienced the corruption/unaccountability of US State/ Government Agencies and the US Judiciary 1st hand I would never have believed Mr Cope's appalling story - Being born and brought up in a 3rd World African nation now ruled by an out of control dictator I accepted this sub standard behavior as the 'norm' over there but in my simple naivety never expected it in my new country the USA - By 2010 I was so beaten down by corrupt and arrogant individuals who populate the US Judicial and State/Government system who will abuse their positions of power and trust to destroy other innocent people rather than admit they and their crooked cronies have made a mistake that I had given up my 'American Dream' of ever becoming a US citizen until Miraculously I was rescued by a DIFFERENT Judge who just happened to stand in for the first corrupt arrogant judge on that blessed day in August 2010 ! - I became a US citizen in March 2012 and had once more regained (partially) my faith in the US systems BUT alas the initial Judge has once more become involved in my ongoing case and I have once more been reduced to homeless penniless individual unable to pay my rent or taxes who will in all probability be jailed at my next hearing in front of this corrupt arrogant Judge – I was led out of the court room in handcuffs by the court deputy in January this year as I was walking out of his court in disgust and outrage at his continued arrogant incompetence/laziness/collusion with an out of control Agency and belief in his own infalibility ! - I am hoping someone will hear my plea but having recently heard of Billy’s case I am in despair but at least unlike Billy I still have not had the ‘Liberty’ part of my pledge of Allegiance to America betrayed (yet !) by these out of control apparently unaccountable arrogant individuals who believe they are above The Law (unfortunately appallingly Billy’s and my experiences appear to be proving them right in this belief !) who populate our Court /legal systems and State/Government Agencies – Hang in there Billy and hopefully you will get lucky and you WILL get an opportunity to have your evidence properly heard – I cannot tell you I will pray for you as I unlike you at a very young age (I am now 57 years old) questioned my faith and my God (for my Daughter’s sake I hope he forgives me) long before I came to America – Hopefully the good people who have taken up your cause will succeed but please know that I too am thinking of you and praying that our belief in America will not continue to betray us

This case just came to my attention today via the Dateline story, after which I surfed the Internet and conducted my own fact-finding mission. Of course I'm infuriated as anyone with more than 50 brain cells would be. It is most unfortunate that this is not that unique. The sad truth is that this corruption happens all over the country. We just don’t always hear about it unless it’s local, makes its way to the federal Supreme Court, or is determined to have media value. I hope this case gets to the high Supremes. Our four fathers are rolling over in their graves. From law enforcement to the judicial system (judges, DA offices, and the avenues through which these bad apples get to these positions), these people have become, in some cases (and some is too many), no different than the true criminals.

So here are my twelve cents: This case and others have many guilty parties. Mr. Cope is not one of them. We are definitely no longer “we the people”. Money, corruption, and connections—all used to hide bad behavior, prevent embarrassment, retain jobs, and achieve other selfish goals—only of those who have the money and connections, are apparently part of a rewrite to The Constitution. Our voices don’t count.

I am not an activist and have always carried a non-judgmental “live and let live” mentality--just trying to live my life, find my own happiness, and do the right thing—for no other reason than because it’s the right way to be. But after waking up from what was an apparently a long slumber of ignorance, I AM NOT OKAY with this philosophy any longer. Those who represent “those people” need to be held accountable for such blatant criminal actions. And I don’t mean paid leave for a month until the media gets distracted, being quietly transferred, retiring early, or stepping-down for “family reasons”. Such obvious accounts of injustice by so many of those who hold these positions (for whom we pay their salaries) should be the recipients of true justice. They should be subject to objective and honest investigations by independent bodies, with real punishments (to include jail time at non-four-star prison resorts) for those found guilty. We need to come together and demand to once again be “we the people”.

Mr. Cope and family – I feel very deeply for you, your family, your devastating losses, and the injustice that has followed for many years. I hope with all of my heart that something good will eventually come out of this travesty. Please know that you all have many supporters. And I am one of them. Your story has led me to find my voice. And together with many others, we will all be heard.

Here's the last I can find:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/13/3093864/york-county-man-convicted-of-murdering.html

Please note that it's dated in November, 2012.

Here's the last I can find:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/13/3093864/york-county-man-convicted-of-murdering.html

Please note that it's dated in November, 2012.

Here's the last I can find:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/13/3093864/york-county-man-convicted-of-murdering.html

Please note that it's dated in November, 2012.

I've read most of the testimony, statements and video in this trial and read most of the comments here on this website and I have 3 children as well, my comment is this....If I didn't kill my child, I would never say I did, much less record a video into how I did it. Remember O.J. Simpson, after being found not guilty he wrote a book entitled something like O.J. Simpson - "If I had done it". I've tried to be impartial but I don't really think he is innocent - but the Rock Hill, SC authorities are obviously idiots at the very least.

Jeff,

Most of us believe that we would never confess to a crime we didn't commit. However, if you go to The Innocence Project's website, you will see that the phenomenon isn't unique to this case. A few years ago, there was a case in Illinois (sorry, I can't recall the name) where the father confessed to the murder of his daughter. Some time later, DNA proved that he was innocent. However, he had confessed, was tried and convicted, and served time in prison for the crime. Believe me, it happens - and much more often than most of us would like to accept.