Who is Veronza Bowers?Veronza Bowers, Jr. is a former BlackPanther political prisoner serving a lifesentence for the killing of a forest rangerin 1973. Bowers has continued to maintainhis innocence, arguing that he has beenthe target of the FBI’s COINTELPRO. Hisconviction rests on two informants whoexchange their testimony for funds, carsand reduced sentences. Furthermore,authorities have stopped at nothing tokeep Veronza Bowers in prison, evendetaining him illegally after his orderedrelease. Veronza Bowers was one of the principleorganizers of the Black Panther PartyChapter in Omaha, Nebraska in the late‘60s. He then traveled to California wherehe took on the responsibilities as captainof the Richmond Branch. As the repres-sion against the Panthers increased, likemany of the members of the party,Veronza became a target of COINTEL-PRO, a program designed to destroy peo-ple and organizations the governmentconsidered “politically dangerous” to thenational security of the United States ofA m e r i c a .On September 15, 1973, Veronza was
arrested in Mill Va l l e y, California on statecharges of robbery, receiving possessionof stolen property pursuant to a federalsearch warrant. A small army of FBI,Marin County Sheriffs, Berkley andOakland City detectives, and A n i m a lShelter police made a pre-dawn raid,which netted four adults, three childrenand two German shepherds. All the statecharges were later dismissed becausethere was no probable cause for thesearch warrant. After the state charges were dropped, thefederal government stepped back in andcharged Veronza with first-degree murderof a National Park Service Ranger. T h egovernment used the testimony of twoinformants, Alan Veale and JonathanS h o h e r, who had also been charged withthe crime, along with Veronza. These twomen had both been convicted of armedbank robbery. However, in exchange fortheir testimony against Veronza, both hadall charges against them dropped in con-nection with their part in the murder of thepark ranger. In addition one of the inform-ants served no time in connection with hisbank robbery conviction for which he hadbeen sentenced to 12 years in prison andwas paid $10,000 after entering the wit-ness protection program.There were no other eyewitnesses inde-pendent of these informants to linkVeronza to the crime. At his trial, Ve r o n z a ,who testified on his own behalf, and hiswife offered alibi testimony, which was notcredited by the jury. Nor was testimony oftwo relatives of the informants who insist-ed that they were lying. The testimony ofthe informants led to the conviction ofVeronza. He was sentenced to life inp r i s o n .Veronza has consistently proclaimed hisinnocence of the crime he claims he nevercommitted even at the expense of having
his appeals for parole denied--for whichan admission of guilt and contrition as anexpression of remorse is virtually required--he has insisted on maintaining his inno-c e n c e .In August 1979, after serving six years infederal prison, Veronza Bowers attemptedto escape from Lompoc FederalCorrectional Institution. However, he wascaptured before ever reaching the outside. After the failed attempt to self-liberation,Veronza made the decision to focus on hisspiritual-self. He became a "model "pris-o n e r, studying music, a variety of A s i a nhealing arts - including shiatsu, acupres-sure, tsubo and massage therapy - anddeveloped a strong interest in Buddhistmeditation. Veronza became an honoraryelder of the Lompoc Tribe of FiveFeathers, a Native American spiritual andcultural group. He became a mentor andfounder of the All-Faith Meditation Group,a non-denominational spiritual organiza-tion devoted to healing meditation usingthe Japanese shakuhachi flute.On June 21, 2005, Veronza Bower was tobe released from federal prison on amandatory parole after more than 31Veronza and Family
Veronza Bowers
years of incarceration. This date wasbased on a vote of the five-member U.S.Parole Commission in Washington, D.C.,the highest governing body in our nation’sparole system. However, Veronza wasdenied release.This action was based on a petition filedby U.S. Attorney General A l b e r t oGonzales, on behalf of the Fraternal Orderof Police, requesting that the NationalAppeals Board “reconsider” their decisiongranting him parole. The truth of the matter is that Veronza hasserved his full sentence under law plus 16months of illegal detention. He has been amodel prisoner with the highest possibleBureau of Prison rating and recommendedfor parole several times, only to have hisrelease rescinded, literally, at the lastminute. He received a very favorablereview and recommendation for releasebased on rigorous psychological and per-sonality testing administered by a highlyreputable independent agency. His peti-tions for parole have been strongly sup-ported by a number of prison officials andadministrators who worked closely withhim over the years and can't say enoughabout his role as a mentor and role modelto younger inmates. His efforts to bereleased have also been supported inwriting by a former member of the USPC,head of the NY Parole Commission and amember of the U.S. Congress. Over thelast three decades, he has worked hard toimprove himself in all ways possible—per-s o n a l l y, socially and spiritually. Yet, hecontinues to languish in prison, be sub-jected to threats and intimidation,demeaned by the news media and falselyaccused by the very group that claims tobe the guardian of law and order in ours o c i e t y. Today is a sad day for A m e r i c aand for the spirit of democracy in our land.
If you wish to write to Veronza, writeto him at:
VERONZA BOWERS, JR.#35316-136
U.S. Penitentiary - AtlantaP.O. Box 150160
Atlanta, GA 30315
Local groups working with Veronza:
Jericho Amnesty CoalitionPO Box 34186
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Anarchist Black Cross Federation(ABCF)
PO Box 11223Whittier, CA 90603email: [email protected]
VeronzaBowers, jr.
Black PantherPolitical Prisoner
Serving life Sentence
Free Veronza Bowers
