Five separate witnesses, three of whom hardly knew him, substantiated his claim. Michael claimed he was at Lake Worth, seventy miles away from Garland, at the time of the robbery. He was sure that he would be able to prove his innocence, especially with the witnesses he had that would prove he was not in Garland. Michael was arrested, charged with aggravated robbery, and held without bail. Wheatley felt that he was a great witness for the case. When Wheatley asked him, "You think he's the man or you're sure he's the man?" he said he was "sure" he was the gunman. However, he initially said he "thought" Michael was the gunman. Doyle picked out Michael almost immediately.
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The following day, he showed Doyle a series of mugshots. He suspected that Michael may have been involved. Wheatley asked to be assigned to the robbery case. The two crossed paths at an intersection where Wheatley was making a left turn. At approximately 7:25pm, Detective Wheatley, who had investigated the supermarket incident, claims he saw Michael in his blue Camaro, three blocks from the gas station. Fifteen minutes later, at 7:15pm, a police unit spotted the stolen car outside of the Willow Apartments, a nearby apartment building, where Michael had lived until only a month before. The gunman stole over $400 and fled the scene of the crime in Doyle's car. Then, on July 14, 1979, just two weeks after his probation began, the gas station was robbed. He was fined and given four years probation. Michael pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon. Former prosecutor Brad Lollar did not understand why he went to that length to avoid paying for food. Detective Dennis Wheatley, however, felt that the incident was serious and not a "prank". He claims it was an "adolescent stunt" that he never should have done. He claims that he fired the shots over their heads and did not intend to hurt anyone. He then pulled out a gun and fired several shots into the air. After he and his friend fled the store, they went to his car.
He also believes that alcohol impaired his judgement. Michael is not sure why he pulled the knife he believes it may have been a desire to get away from the manager and get out of there. The incident escalated into violence when he pulled out a knife and threatened the employees. When the manager threatened to call the police, Michael panicked and threw some money on the counter. He and a friend had been drinking and were seen eating polish sausage and potato chips from the supermarket's shelves. In early 1979, seven months before the gas station robbery, he was arrested after an altercation in a supermarket. Michael had a clean record until he was twenty-six. He insists that he has been wrongly imprisoned. There was never any physical evidence connecting him to the robbery. The case against Michael was based entirely on eyewitness identification that placed him at the scene of the crime. He hopes and prays that, one day, he will be able to prove his innocence. He has went all the way to the Supreme Court fighting his conviction. He feels like he is about to give up because he has run out of options. He has already served eight years and still maintains his innocence. Because of a previous arrest, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole until 1999. Michael was arrested, tried, and convicted of armed robbery. They claim he spent the whole day at his home at Lake Worth, seventy miles away.
Five other witnesses, however, swore that Michael could not have robbed the gas station. He identified his attacker as Michael Scott Martin, a twenty-six-year-old welder. He also does not believe he will ever forget the man who did it. He feels that the traumatic experience will stick with him for the rest of his life. Doyle's key eyewitness testimony would eventually put a man in prison for life. He took $400 and taped Doyle's hands behind his back. He struck Doyle with the gun and threatened to kill him if he did not comply. Details: At 7pm on July 14, 1979, a man entered a gas station office in Garland, Texas, and drew a gun on Doyle, the eighteen-year-old attendant, who was closing up for the day.