Biography
Lise Olsen was a nurse and animal rights activist who on July 4, 1992 hung a banner in protest of fur farms over a railroad bridge near her home. The banner was illuminated by homemade lanterns. The FBI claimed the lanterns which were made of peanut butter jars were explosive devices despite bomb experts stating they had no incendiary or explosive capacity. During the trial the judge allows prosecutors to refer to Olsen as a terrorist in front of the jury and police officers without expertise falsely testify the lanterns were weapons. Olsen was convicted and sentenced to 4 years in prison despite the trial judge promising probation. While in prison the FBI attempted to charge Olsen with an incident where a consumer grade smoke grenade used in paintball games was found inside the fur section of a local department store. The smoke grenade was not ignited and fingerprints found on them did not match Olsen. No evidence connected Olsen to the grenades and the FBI falsely claimed the smoke grenade was a bomb. Prosecutors attempted multiple times to bring charges against her related to this incident but the Grand Jury refused to indict. The FBI then claimed to be investigating a murder they said Olsen was involved with despite no murder having occurred as pretext to detain family and friends of Olsen for interviews and fingerprinting. During her parole hearing, those who spoke on her behalf including an elderly civil rights activist were soon questioned by the FBI about their connection to her and fingerprinted. On August 4, 1995 her conviction was overturned and a new trial was ordered after a detective admitted during a deposition that he had lied when he claimed Olsen had told him she manufactured Molotov Cocktails. During the new trial Olsen was acquitted of all felonies involving incendiary devices and attempted arson but convicted on, "Unauthorized Use of a Weapon" for possessing more than three tablespoons of gasoline fuel after the jury was falsely instructed on the meaning of the statute and only told it requires someone possess something that could be used as a weapon rather than requiring they intend to use it as a weapon. Olsen was sentenced to 4 years for this single charge. On December 22, 1998 the Appellate Court of Illinois overturned the second conviction.
