As one Arizona teen faces years in prison, a network of supporters gathers to speak out in her favor. The group also protests her treatment by the legal system.
Supporters, such as Kameron Fein of the Free Jessie support team, said they feel the murder charge was far more extreme than was deserved.
“There were a lot of issues with Jessie's case that struck a chord with all of us,” Fein wrote in an email. “There was acknowledgement from law enforcement from the beginning that the death was accidental. There has still been no framing of this as an intentional murder, yet the charge is the most extreme possible charge.”
Jessica “Jessie” Burlew, a young girl diagnosed with schizophrenia and autism, was 16 years old when she was charged with the second-degree murder of Jason Ash, a 43-year-old man she had become sexually involved with.
Burlew started a relationship with Ash, who led Burlew to believe he was in his 20s, gave her hard drugs and pursued a violent sexual relationship with her, knowing she was a minor and legally unable to consent, according to a press release from freejessica.org.
On Jan. 18, 2014, while engaged in sexual activity, Ash allegedly requested that Jessie asphyxiate him with an electrical cord, stopping when he said the “safe word,” which was never uttered and resulted in his accidental suffocation, according to the press release.
Since then, Burlew has been tried as an adult, charged with second-degree murder and held in solitary confinement at Estrella Jail, where she has received “inadequate mental health services,” according to the press release.
“What is the most heartbreaking is how often these cases are ignored, and the problematic actions continue,” Fein wrote. “In researching other cases I have come across numerous examples of judges and mental health professionals condemning the practice of putting people with mental and developmental disorders in solitary confinement.”
It was Arizona Prison Watch activist Peggy Plews who brought Jessie’s situation to the attention of local prison support activists, who eventually formed the “Free Jessie” support team.
Fein wrote that Ash mistreated Burlew, taking advantage of her young age.
“When it comes to sexual exploitation, I feel like this dynamic should be obvious when placing a 43-year-old with a 16-year-old,” she wrote. “In the later ages of our teenage years there is a common theme of feeling mature beyond our years.”
Fein wrote that this feeling of maturity is often capitalized upon by those seeking to manipulate young people into engaging in sexual activity and can cause a number of psychological issues for the victim being exploited. According to the press release, Jessie had a difficult childhood riddled with bullying, therapy, medication and an inconsistent home life in which she bounced between her mother’s home and child services.
“Looking at the kind of psychological stress or damage these experiences cause, it should not be questioned that his actions were exploitative,” she wrote.
Beth Payne of the Free Jessie support team wrote in an email that the imbalanced power-dynamic between Ash and Jessie should have cleared Burlew of murder charges.
“Jason Ash's death was an accident which occurred because of his own decisions to engage in dangerous play with a vulnerable person he chose because he controlled the power dynamic,” Payne wrote. “Jessie should never have been charged with anything at all.”
Payne wrote that trying Burlew as an adult is further indication of the failings in our justice system, which she said frequently funnels teenagers into the adult system.
Payne wrote that the Free Jessie support campaign is seeking to build a strong network of support and community connections to address the larger issues at hand, instead of focusing solely on helping Jessie out of the situation she found herself in.
"It's important to point out that support for Jessie, her mother, and others in our community is not easy or short-term,” Payne wrote. “It goes far beyond a fundraising campaign.
The Free Jessie support team has been raising community awareness by setting up information tables at various events around the Valley, passing out flyers, taking donations and selling T-shirts.
On Sept. 4, Burlew accepted a plea carrying 10 years in prison on one charge of second-degree murder. Burlew's sentencing court date is expected to occur at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 5 at the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County.
"Jessie is a victim of sexual abuse yet is treated as a criminal,” Burlew support team member Julien Witowski wrote in an email. “The legal system has done a grave injustice. Personally, I cannot hear about this and do nothing. Jessie deserves better, and I will do what I can to support."
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Discriminating against mental illness
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