Convicted in 1965 after a seven-week trial of arranging the 1964 murder of his wife, Judy Seflin Lopinson (a 25 year old artist), and his business partner, Joseph "Joe Flowers" Malito, at the Dante's Inferno Bar in Center City Philadelphia.
Lopinson had been shot in the leg and tried to blame the crime on two crazed assailants and a robbery gone wrong. The story gained him a lot of sympathy till the truth came out.
The double murder was carried out by Frank "Birdman" Phelan at the behest of Lopinson who'd paid Phelan $10,000.00 to carry out the hit. The case was big news in Philadelphia for quite a while.
Phelan received a life sentence for testifying against Lopinson, who received the death penalty (that was later overturned). Lopinson maintained his claim of innocence until he filed a petition for clemency (for the fifth time) in 1993 when he finally admitted his guilt. That petition was denied.
Lopinson had married a prison volunteer, Diana Harrison, in 1978. At Graterford, he founded the Para-Professional Law Clinic and produced a legal aid handbook for prisoners. For 19 years, he was a trusty and lived in a trailer outside the prison. Before becoming ill with the cancer that would take his life, he had been a bookkeeper at the prison.
From the Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. Bulletin,
June/July 2002:
"Jack Lopinson, 64, died April 17 in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania. Lopinson served in the U.S. Army with the 81st Airborne Division. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Graterford (Incarcerated) Chapter 466."
Lopinson had been shot in the leg and tried to blame the crime on two crazed assailants and a robbery gone wrong. The story gained him a lot of sympathy till the truth came out.
The double murder was carried out by Frank "Birdman" Phelan at the behest of Lopinson who'd paid Phelan $10,000.00 to carry out the hit. The case was big news in Philadelphia for quite a while.
Phelan received a life sentence for testifying against Lopinson, who received the death penalty (that was later overturned). Lopinson maintained his claim of innocence until he filed a petition for clemency (for the fifth time) in 1993 when he finally admitted his guilt. That petition was denied.
Lopinson had married a prison volunteer, Diana Harrison, in 1978. At Graterford, he founded the Para-Professional Law Clinic and produced a legal aid handbook for prisoners. For 19 years, he was a trusty and lived in a trailer outside the prison. Before becoming ill with the cancer that would take his life, he had been a bookkeeper at the prison.
From the Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. Bulletin,
June/July 2002:
"Jack Lopinson, 64, died April 17 in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania. Lopinson served in the U.S. Army with the 81st Airborne Division. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Graterford (Incarcerated) Chapter 466."
Convicted in 1965 after a seven-week trial of arranging the 1964 murder of his wife, Judy Seflin Lopinson (a 25 year old artist), and his business partner, Joseph "Joe Flowers" Malito, at the Dante's Inferno Bar in Center City Philadelphia.
Lopinson had been shot in the leg and tried to blame the crime on two crazed assailants and a robbery gone wrong. The story gained him a lot of sympathy till the truth came out.
The double murder was carried out by Frank "Birdman" Phelan at the behest of Lopinson who'd paid Phelan $10,000.00 to carry out the hit. The case was big news in Philadelphia for quite a while.
Phelan received a life sentence for testifying against Lopinson, who received the death penalty (that was later overturned). Lopinson maintained his claim of innocence until he filed a petition for clemency (for the fifth time) in 1993 when he finally admitted his guilt. That petition was denied.
Lopinson had married a prison volunteer, Diana Harrison, in 1978. At Graterford, he founded the Para-Professional Law Clinic and produced a legal aid handbook for prisoners. For 19 years, he was a trusty and lived in a trailer outside the prison. Before becoming ill with the cancer that would take his life, he had been a bookkeeper at the prison.
From the Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. Bulletin,
June/July 2002:
"Jack Lopinson, 64, died April 17 in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania. Lopinson served in the U.S. Army with the 81st Airborne Division. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Graterford (Incarcerated) Chapter 466."
Lopinson had been shot in the leg and tried to blame the crime on two crazed assailants and a robbery gone wrong. The story gained him a lot of sympathy till the truth came out.
The double murder was carried out by Frank "Birdman" Phelan at the behest of Lopinson who'd paid Phelan $10,000.00 to carry out the hit. The case was big news in Philadelphia for quite a while.
Phelan received a life sentence for testifying against Lopinson, who received the death penalty (that was later overturned). Lopinson maintained his claim of innocence until he filed a petition for clemency (for the fifth time) in 1993 when he finally admitted his guilt. That petition was denied.
Lopinson had married a prison volunteer, Diana Harrison, in 1978. At Graterford, he founded the Para-Professional Law Clinic and produced a legal aid handbook for prisoners. For 19 years, he was a trusty and lived in a trailer outside the prison. Before becoming ill with the cancer that would take his life, he had been a bookkeeper at the prison.
From the Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. Bulletin,
June/July 2002:
"Jack Lopinson, 64, died April 17 in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania. Lopinson served in the U.S. Army with the 81st Airborne Division. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Graterford (Incarcerated) Chapter 466."
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