Myers was picked up for a different murder, that of a poor white woman named Vickie Pittman. As Mr. Stevenson and the staff of EJI investigated the case, they discovered a ton of evidence that proved Mr. McMillian was innocent. The prosecution presented their three witnesses: Myers and the two men who said they saw McMillians low-rider truck outside the dry cleaners on the morning of the murder. They have also lived in Winter Park, FL and Lake Mary, FL. It was pointed out that Monroeville, Alabama, was "best known as the home of Harper Lee, whose To Kill a Mockingbird told a painful story of race and justice in the small-town Jim Crow South. The suspect, who was from a prominent family then fled town. This was Alabama in 1986. Walter McMillians post-conviction ordeal is featured in the film. Birthdate: estimated between 1837 and 1897. Its so clear they will believe someone that had inconsistent and false testimony over many people confirming his alibi. Support The National Registry of Exonerations , The Contribution of Forensic and Expert Evidence to DNA Exoneration Cases, Race and Wrongful Convictions in the United States, 2022, Government Misconduct and Convicting the Innocent, Witness Recantations: Preliminary Findings, May 2013, Exonerations in the United States: 1989 - 2012, Tell us about an Exoneration that we missed. It was too easy for one person to come into court and frame a man for a murder he didnt commit. The only reason Im here is because I had been messing around with a white lady, he told the New York Times from death row. The trauma Mr. McMillian experienced led to early-onset dementia. "[6], McMillian was known in the small community for having an affair with a white woman, Karen Kelly. Ariana Brockington. The trial lasted only a day and a half. "[6], Eighteen-year-old Ronda Morrison, a white dry-cleaning clerk, was murdered at Jackson Cleaners on November 1, 1986, in Monroeville, Alabama. But the overwhelming evidence of innocence ultimately forced the State to agree to drop the charges. Each testimony had inconsistencies in their stories, but that did not matter. All NRE reports represent a moment in time. Years later when the case settled, the compensation was much less than had been hoped. After Mr. McMillians release in 1993, he worked hard to educate people about the death penalty, sharing his experiences with students, community groups, and elected officials across the country. [6][7][8] Both McMillian and the attorney he had in 1987, J. L. Chestnut, "contended that Mr. McMillian's relationships alone had made him a suspect. / Walter McMillian (left) celebrates with family after Bryan Stevenson won his release from death row in 1993. [14] Key remarked that "McMillian deserved to be executed for the brutal killing of a young lady in the first full flower of adulthood. he sees the report about EJI for the first time. This story was very sad to read, and unfortunately a clear reality in todays times with our criminal justice system in the United States. For months, the police could not solve this case. Walter McMillian was married to Minnie McMillian for 25 years. He had a large, tight-knit family and several children with his wife. He became uncharacteristically emotional. I cant imagine how infuriating it must be to experience something like this. After a week of interrogation by the police, Mr. Myers accused Mr. McMillian, a pulpwood worker, as Ms. Morrison's killer. Stevenson recounts the story Myers gave during. I think this article not only spreads awareness on systematic racism and wrongful convictions, but it also starts a conversation on the inhumane conditions of prisons. "[Notes 3][4], On September 19, 1988, Judge Robert E. Lee Key, Jr., overruled the jury's recommendation of a life sentence and imposed the death penalty. The 45-year-old self-employed logger had worked for several people in the community and had no criminal history. His conviction was wrong And it was too hard in light of the evidence of his innocence to show this court that he should never have been here in the first place.. Still, the police were desperate to wrap up the Morrison case, and they felt that this was their opportunity. Plus, McMillian didnt fit the profile of a murderer: He had no prior felony convictions, just one misdemeanor for getting dragged into a bar fight years earlier. One of the biggest worries is whether youll get the kind of legal assistance you need to save you from execution, he testified. People were more concerned with convicting an innocent man of a murder he did not commit rather than finding the victims murderer. On November 1, 1986, the body of 18-year-old part-time clerk Ronda Morrison was found under a rack of clothing at Jackson Cleaners in Monroeville, Alabama. [9], Further investigation revealed that McMillian's truck, supposedly seen by witnesses at the scene of the crime, had not been converted to a "low-rider" until six months after the crime took place. The visits from his family were the only thing getting him by in his time there. "[6][Notes 1][5] McMillian was represented by attorney J. L. Chestnut. Sexual or romantic relationships between blacks and whites were still very much taboo, especially out in the land of forests and plantations. We encourage you to research and examine these . I find it very heartbreaking that even with inconsistencies and testimonies in favor of him, that he was still condemned because of the way he looked. Throughout the case, Stevenson battles political and legal maneuverings, as well as overt and institutional racism, all in the name of fighting for . The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. With few ordinary comforts in his life, the attention of women was something Walter did not easily resist.. Bryan Stevenson discusses the outrageous miscarriage of justice in the case of Walter McMillian. Aside from having a misdemeanor charge from a barroom fight, he had a clean record and no other charges to his name. Report an error or add more information about this case. Walter McMillian. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. On the other hand, maybe the jury has more fault, since surely the defense attorney would had pointed out the inconsistencies of the witnesses testimonies, meaning that it cant be trusted, but the majority of them ultimately decided to turn a blind eye too. The National Registry of Exonerations is a project of the Newkirk Center for Science & Society at University of California Irvine, the University of Michigan Law School and Michigan State University College of Law. Walter is related to Jane Marie Price and Jaline Renae McMillan as well as 3 additional people. To him and his family, the money he got from picking cotton was worth a lot more than an education. According to Myers, reinstated in 1975, the majority of Alabama death row inmates have been black, although when, that the practice is occurring. He wasnt just enraged that his wife was cheating on him she was cheating on him with a black man. .com is the online source for current local and national obituary news and a supportive community where friends and family can come together during times of loss and grieving to honor the memories of their loved ones with lasting personal tributes. I have plenty of friends who are sentenced 10 or 20 years in jail and they feel doomed as soon as the judge slams the gavel. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. Again, great work! Walter "Johnny D." McMillian (October 27, 1941 September 11, 2013)[1] was a pulpwood worker from Monroeville, Alabama, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He was arrested by Monroe County Sheriff Tom Tate and eventually charged with capital murder. I lost my reputation. It also emerged that District Attorney Theodore Pearson "had concealed evidence proving his innocence": a witness had seen the victim alive after the time when prosecutors claimed that McMillian had killed her. The jury then found McMillian guilty despite that there was no physical evidence that linked him to the crime. But the jury 11 white members and one black member took the prosecutions word. CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE Death, Life, and Justice in a Southern Town By Pete Earley Bantam. Either way, its a shame that not only our officers, but our prosecutors, which I believe work closely with the police department (at least more than defense attorneys), have also been shown to be racially biased. He had spoken to other inmates on death row that day, but Walter's case is the one that . Jamie Foxx plays Walter McMillian in the film, Just Mercy. His story was a counter narrative to the rhetoric of fairness and reliability offered by politicians and law enforcement officials who wanted more and faster executions. Myers said he heard popping sounds, and that when he entered the building he found McMillian, with a gun, standing over the dead body of Morrison and robbing her. Walter McMillian. After six months with no leads or suspects, their attention focused on Walter McMillian. She is resilient, patient, intelligent and hospitable. Karen confirms that Myers never met, Stevenson describes the situation preceding, The hearing begins. Walter Lester McMillian, 72, of Fancy Gap, died May 26, 2002, in Beverly Health Care-Blue Ridge. Tell In 1993, after McMillian had served six years on Alabama's death row, the Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the lower court decision and ruled that he had been wrongfully convicted. Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures. McMillian clearly recalled the moment the news got to them. Although there are still injustices for colored people in todays society, it Definitely has gotten better and Im glad that were working towards that. The real-life Walter McMillian (left) and lawyer Bryan Stevenson. "[9] D.A. I don't give a damn what your people say either. The police wouldnt buy it, and so Myers said he had information on the Morrison case. In the case Walter McMillian v. State proceedings it was recorded that Myers identified Larry Ikner, and Thomas Tate, as the law enforcement officers. The fact that this man was innocent, and everyone knew, he was still guilty. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Walter McMillian appears in, Stevenson explains that he will focus on the story of, general, Stevenson is amused. Sentimentality about Lees story grew even as the harder truths of the book took no roots. They knew their statements against a white mans perjured testimony didnt stand a chance.4, McMillians trial lasted two days. In 1988, Walter McMillian, a Black man, was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death for . (including. At last, Walter McMillian was a free man again, after spending six years on death row.6, Once McMillian was free and returned to his hometown, he sought compensation. I feel like they done put me on death row, too. The crime sent shock waves of fear and anger through the small community. On Feb. 23, 1993, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals reversed McMillians conviction and ordered a new trial. Part of the evidence revealed a tape where a witness confessed to having been pressured to frame McMillan. Sponsored by Ancestry. Those six years on death row traumatized McMillian in many unthinkable ways. Before you check out Jamie Foxx in the new film Just Mercy, learn the true story of Walter McMillian, an Alabama man wrongfully convicted for a brutal murder who spent six years on death row. EJI filed civil rights lawsuits against state and local officials for incarcerating Mr. McMillian on death row before his trial in violation of his rights. [6] McMillian held two jobs and "no criminal record other than a misdemeanor charge stemming [from] a barroom fight". That one testimony of Hooks was all it took to convict him for the murder of Ronda Morrison. On August 17, 1988, the jury of eleven whites and one African American found McMillian "guilty of the capital offense charged in the indictment"[9] and recommended a life sentence, based on the testimony of four state's informants found by the prosecution: Ralph Myers,[9] a career criminal; Bill Hooks, Jr.; Joe Hightower;[9] and one other. "[6] In a prison interview in 1993, McMillian said, "The only reason I'm here is because I had been messing around with a white lady and my son married a white lady. They were close their community and church. McMillian was convicted by a jury of eleven whites and one African American. He came to attention because he had an affair with a married white woman. This left McMillian even more clueless as they didnt provide him with an explanation for how or why he was being charged with such a crime. I appreciate that the author provided just enough detail so the reader could form an emotional connection to this story. But McMillian always proclaimed his innocence. Pearson had failed to disclose exculpatory evidence to McMillian's attorneys, including records from the Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility and Myers' June 3 and August 27 statements. Tate replied, "I don't give a damn what you say or what you do. McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. Walter with friends and Stevenson The McMillian family was known to be a "large, tight-knit family" made up Walter, his wife, Minnie, and five children. In 1986, an 18-year-old white woman named Ronda Morrison was murdered in downtown Monroeville, Alabama. Walter McMillian, who was born on October 27, 1941, lived in a black settlement near Monroeville where he "grew up picking cotton. There were dozens of Black people who could testify to his innocence but they were ignored. During his interrogation, police said that they had witnesses who would testify that he had committed the Morrison murder along with Walter McMillian, a 46-year old African-American man who was notorious in the community because he had a white girlfriend. Like Walter, she is from the poor black community just outside of Monroeville. I am also worried about others. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Mr. McMillian at his familys home on the day of his release after six years on death row. Mr. McMillian was released from death row as a free man in March 1993. Walter McMillian lived an ordinary life alongside his wife Minnie McMillian and their three children. Were going to keep all you niggers from running around with these white girls. At the time of her murder, Walter McMillian was at a church fish fry, where he was seen by dozens of witnesses, one of whom was a police officer.[10][11]. The Morrison case had generated considerable publicity in Monroe County, which was 40 percent black, and so Walter McMillians trial was moved down south to Baldwin County which was 86 percent white. information about the Registry, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct. He had all the evidence and witnesses he could and still knowing in the end it was useless and wouldnt help him for his case is sad. McMillians original attorneys in the trial, J.L. His conviction was wrongfully obtained, based on police coercion and perjury. In addition, one of his sons had married a white woman. By the 1950s, however, cotton became less profitable, and the state of Alabama helped many white farmers transition to growing and chopping timber. The McMillian family: Walter McMillian had a family of believers. We invite you to learn more about the clients featured in the book below. McMillian, freed from death row in 1993, died September 11, 2013, at age 71. An effort to hold the sheriff accountable went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the Court ruled that Sheriff Tate was protected from liability based on immunity laws. Testimony of the trial lasted a day and a half. McMillian presented six alibi witnesses who testified that they had been with him at a family fish fry the entire day. Court and frame a man for a murder he didnt commit African American a more limited of. So clear they will believe someone that had inconsistent and false testimony over many people confirming his alibi his was! On Feb. 23, 1993, the hearing begins Gap, died May 26, 2002, Beverly! Limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989, patient, intelligent and hospitable presented. Their stories, but that did not matter obtained, based on coercion. Form an emotional connection to this story on Walter McMillian lived an ordinary Life alongside his wife Kelly. 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