Greg Kelley's girlfriend speaks with FOX 7 at 'Freedom Fest'

Fox 7
August 11, 2014

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/26244859/greg-kelleys-girlfriend-speaks-with-fox-7-at-freedom-fest?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

They called it "Freedom Fest."
   
The goal was to raise awareness about 19-year-old Greg Kelley and to help his family with mounting legal fees.

"This is a freedom fight for Greg.  This is our big fundraiser.  We've been raising funds, we've raised over $23,000 already.  But this is the one we started in motion pretty much right after Greg got convicted," said organizer Pam Brimberry.

Brimberry knows Greg through her daughter.  She says Freedom Fest has a line up of live music, food, a chance to sign the petition and to donate.

Greg's mom Rosa Kelley is thankful for the support.

"This is what is keeping me strong and keep going.  I've been talking to my son two times a week.  He is just so grateful for this," Kelley said.

Among the crowd, Greg Kelley's high school sweetheart, Gaebri Anderson -- speaking on television about Greg for the first time.

She says there's no way her boyfriend is guilty of this crime.

"From my perspective, I have known him for so long, I know his heart.  I know he's not capable of such terrible things," she said.

She says the verdict came as a surprise.

"I did not expect him to be guilty at all, we didn't expect that, he didn't expect that.  When that came out we were just like 'Oh my gosh, what are we gonna do?'  And then everybody came together and the support is absolutely amazing," Anderson said.

Anderson says she talks to him every night on the phone.  Fox 7 spoke with him this week as well.  In that interview, Kelley also called his supporters "amazing.''

"I'm pretty shaken up knowing so many people on my back that love me and are sending me letters.  I'm getting hundreds of...mail...hundreds of envelopes.  I've been known as a fire hazard here in jail because I have too much envelopes," Kelley told us.

But there is a big outcry, especially on social media from those who feel justice was done in the Greg Kelley case.

Amy Smith is with a group called SNAP that supports victims of abuse.

"Some of those that I have connected with on Twitter and through Facebook and then some have reached out to me privately through social media saying 'we live here, we live in Leander, we live in Austin.  And we're very disturbed by such a public outpouring.'  And some of them are sexual abuse victims themselves and that really touched a nerve with them," Smith said.

Smith says there are better, more private ways to show support for Kelley.  She says many are upset Sunday's Freedom Fest was held at a church.

"To a child, that says 'They're against me.'  And to even question 'Is God against me because I spoke up?'  And so it's the public way of showing support...and I don't think you need to have a public festival with dancing and games and food and a party with a slip and slide to show support for an imprisoned friend or family member," she said.

In addition to the money they've raised, Fight for GK says so far they've gotten more than 8,000 signatures on their petition for a review of the case.

This is a big week for Kelley supporters.
   
Greg's new attorney will be filing a motion for a new trial this week.

It's his one shot at freedom.