STORY DETAILS

In 1985 I was wrongly convicted of the March 10, 1983 murder of my adoptive mother, Dorka Grace Lisker, a crime which occurred in our family home in Sherman Oaks, California.

Though l was the one who discovered her clinging to life, who called for help and lent first aid assistance, a corrupt LAPD Homicide Detective named Andrew R. Monsue nevertheless rushed to judge me guilty, and then fabricated or distorted evidence to support his false accusation that I had robbed and murdered my own mom.

Monsue abruptly retired 12 days after the first L.A. Times article brought his deplorable conduct to light.

An incompetent court-appointed attorney sealed my fate and guaranteed my conviction, even as a lying and opportunistic jail house snitch named Robert Donald Hughes used our family tragedy as his ticket to a 9-months early release from custody, falsely testifying that I’d confessed to him.

Twice I was driven by desperation and the hope of freedom into feigning responsibility. 0nce, trying to plea bargain to reduce my potential sentence from a minimum of 18 years in adult prison, to a maximum of 6 years in the Youth authority. And again, trying to show the Board of Prison Terms ”adequate remorse” in the vain hope they would let me rejoin my family and piece together what remained of my life.

Only in recent years has re-investigation all but proved that a violent and troubled 16-year old former roommate of mine named John ”Mike” Ryan, Jr. got away with my mother’s murder, and that I have needlessly languished in prison since that day.

* * *

My late father, Robert Lisker, for 34 years a prominent and well-respected Hollywood attorney, believed in my innocence from the beginning, together with virtually everyone who knew me before or has met me since. His tremendous faith and love proved a salvation and a grounding for me, allowing me the strength and wherewithal to drag myself on day after day behind bars in the knowledge that one day -- some glorious day -- the truth would be known by all.

In addition to my mom and dad, I owe enormous debts of gratitude to several courageous souls for standing up for the truth, even at great risk to themselves and their families:

Paul Ingels, the best private investigator on the planet. (909-931-7683) A hard-won convert, Paul has single-handedly kept the course of investigations from being derailed on more occasions than can be counted, including LAPD’s efforts to cover up the injustices perpetrated on their watch.

LAPD Internal Affairs Sergeant Jim Gavin discovered the killer’s bloody footprints in photos taken of our house, and investigated that mysterious phone call made from our phone that day, to a number just one digit off from suspect Ryan’s mother’s telephone number. Sergeant Gavin has seemingly been targeted by LAPD for retribution due to his honest work on my case, yet he stands firm in his commitment to the truth regardless of whom it might embarrass. God bless him.

Staff writers Scott Glover and Matt Lait at the L.A. Times have fearlessly investigated the LAPD, calling to task corrupt elements within the department which have tried to distort the facts of my mother’s botched murder investigation and stymie all efforts to correct the injustice l have suffered. In some very exciting news, Glover’s and Lait’s May 22, 2005 9000-word article about my case, ”A Case of Doubt,” has earned them the prestigious 2005 Heywood Broun Award for Journalistic Excellence from the Newspaper Guild of America. Congratulations guys!

The law firm of Nasatir, Hirsch, Podberesky & Genego (310-399-3259), in particular attorneys Richard Hirsch, Vicki Podberesky and Bill Geneqo, are captains at the helm of my greatest chance of proving my innocence, once and for all. These amazingly skilled and selfless souls are the absolute best attorneys, anywhere.

I thank each of these heroes and heroines more than simple words can express. And I thank you for reading this, and getting it, and feeling something in your heart because of it.

Best wishes to you, and God bless.
Bruce Lisker
April, 2006 Amador County, California

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