JIMI SIMMONS DIED LAST NIGHT

Jimi "Dexter" Simmons is a Muckleshoot/Rogue River Indian man who was accused of killing a prison guard in Walla Walla Penitentiary in 1979. Jimi and his brother George Simmons were charged with the death penalty. Jimi's defense attorneys were Leonard Weinglass and John Wolfe.
George Simmons was found guilty of second degree murder in 1980. He
killed himself in his prison cell in 1981. Jimi Simmons was tried in
1981 after spending two and a half years in solitary confinement. Originally the judge ordered that he would be shackled during his trial. This raised the spectre of Bobby Seale's treatment during the Chicago 7
(8) trial, where Leonard Weinglass had been one of the defense
attorneys. The shackling issue was appealed by the defense and went all
the way to the Washington State Supreme Court (Simmons vs The People of
the State of Washington).
Jimi Simmons was acquitted in December, 1981. He was released from
prison in 1983. A documentary film has been made of his life and trial
titled Making the River. Making the River was directed by Sarah Del Seronde and produced by Paul Stoll.

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Jimi died last night.  He was 36 days clean & sober(over 20 years sober) I found him in his hotel room on the floor.  He had been staying there so he could go to the meetings at the AA club that was across the street.  He had been attending at least four meetings a day. ....Maybe he had a heart attack.  He had been in the hospital over the weekend with a respiratory problem.....

I loved him so much.  I am so grateful that he died clean & sober  instead of in the nightmare that he had been living in when he relapsed into using drugs.  We had such hopes for our future.  He was so excited about going to an Indian treatment program next week & being on the Red Road of Sobriety once again.  I was so proud of him.  I have always been proud of him.  He was such a warrior.  He beat the odds so many times.  He really had made the river to freedom and he was doing it once again. 
I think that  Creator finally told him that he had done enough
& that he could rest now.  Jimi was so weary from fighting  Hep C for so many years and he was so wounded from his childhood.  But he still managed to have such a big heart & to love so many people. I am so grateful for our life together.  We had such adventures and we have two wonderful sons.  I have been so lucky.......Karen