Skip Ancestry main menu Main Menu. The fact that the testimonial of the witnesses that saw McMillian near the cleaners the morning of the murder didnt even add up, and nobody seemed to care is upsetting. We have all hurt someone and have been hurt. Walter McMillian was among the first exonerees from death row in the modern era. She is resilient, patient, intelligent and hospitable. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. His conviction was wrongfully obtained, based on police coercion and perjury. Walter McMillian, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a young white woman who worked as a clerk in a dry cleaning store in Monroeville, Alabama. 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. Margaret M (McMillan) Williams 12 Jul 1891 Ontario, Canada - 24 Jan 1932 managed by Dave Stern Susannah (McMillan) McRae 24 May 1810 Robeson, North Carolina, United States - 30 Aug 1886 managed by Rod Medders Jane (McMillan) Henderson abt 1809 Stirlingshire, Scotland, United Kingdom - abt 1859 managed by Lesley Robertson He had no prior criminal history and was a 45-year-old self-employed logger who had done work for many people throughout the community. To him and his family, the money he got from picking cotton was worth a lot more than an education. No. It was appealed to the United States Supreme Court,[19] which ruled against McMillian, holding that a county sheriff could not be sued for monetary damages. Home; . Instant downloads of all 1682 LitChart PDFs .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. List of wrongful convictions in the United States, "Death of justice in Alabama: Brian Baldwin was condemned to the electric chair by a racist travesty", "Double Jeopardy: In Alabama, a judge can override a jury that spares a murderer from the death penalty", "Alabama Releases Man Held On Death Row for Six Years", Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, "An Alabama Sheriff, a Mystery Check and a Blogger Who Cried Foul", "Alabama frees black man on death row for 6 years - Walter McMillan", "One Lawyer's Fight For Young Blacks And 'Just Mercy', Jamie Foxx in Talks to Join Michael B. Jordan in Legal Drama 'Just Mercy', Equal Justice Initiative - Walter McMillian, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_McMillian&oldid=1134436044, Overturned convictions in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 17:56. Ariana Brockington. Walter is related to Jane Marie Price and Jaline Renae McMillan as well as 3 additional people. "[9][Notes 6][3][12] In pursuing those claims, the attorneys obtained the original recording of Myers' confession. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. This article is informative and well written! 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. It was the laughter of liberation. As a result, Alabama passed its 2001 compensation statute. McMillian. McMillian." [15], Since then, the frequency of the judge override in Alabama has come under scrutiny: "Nearly seventy Alabama judges have single-handedly ordered an inmate's execution, and collectively they have done so more than a hundred times. Things would be fine, he thought, as long as everything was kept secret. "[5] It emerged that Sheriff Tate and investigators with the Monroe County D.A. "[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. He claimed that McMillian's exoneration "proved the system worked. Each testimony had inconsistencies in their stories, but that did not matter. McMillian, was charged with first degree murder, the murder of a very well known white girl in the community. 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. Bryan Stevenson stands in 1993 with Walter McMillan, a man wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death row for six years for the murder of an 18-year-old dry cleaning store clerk in Monroeville, Ala. Stevenson successfully argued that Stevenson was with family 11 miles away at the time of the crime, that witnesses had lied on the stand, and that the prosecution had illegally suppressed . The Registry provides detailed information about every known exoneration in the United States since 1989cases in which a person was wrongly convicted of a crime and later cleared of all the charges based on new evidence of innocence. McMillian (Jamie Foxx) was an African-American pulpwood worker from Monroeville, Alabama, who was wrongfully convicted of the murder of 18-year-old Ronda Morrison, a white dry-cleaning clerk. Aside from having a misdemeanor charge from a barroom fight, he had a clean record and no other charges to his name. Her . His trial start on Aug. 15, 1988 and lasted only a day and a half. Stevenson was motivated to take McMillian's case because of the use of the judge override. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Walter McMillian with his family after his release from prison. He was then taken to the local jail where the charge was quickly dismissed. Stevenson recounts the story that Ralph Myers gave to police. Known to his friends and family as Johnny D, Mr. McMillian spent 15 harrowing and tortuous months on Alabamas death row before trial. I feel like they done put me on death row, too. Equal Justice InitiativeWalter McMillian spent six years on Alabamas death row for a murder he didnt commit. "[6], McMillian was known in the small community for having an affair with a white woman, Karen Kelly. Equal Justice Initiative With his conviction overturned, Walter McMillian was released from death row in 1993. Another 267 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1775, 1790, 1452, 1454, 1540, 1555, 1670, 1753, 1670, 1745 and 1745 are included under the topic Early McMillan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. After a week of interrogation by the police, Mr. Myers accused Mr. McMillian, a pulpwood worker, as Ms. Morrison's killer. We encourage you to research and examine these . They convicted McMillian of first-degree murder. Walter McMillian, left, and Bryan Stevenson, right (Photo from the Equal Justice Initiative) In 1986, an 18-year-old White woman named Ronda Morrison was murdered at Jackson Cleaners in Monroeville, Alabama. Bryan Stevenson, McMillian's defense attorney, raised awareness on the CBS News program 60 Minutes. Amazon Removes Christmas Products Featuring Images Of Auschwitz After Online Blowback, Toxic Foam Washes Up On Indian Beach And People Keep Taking Selfies In It, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Walter McMillian was married to Minnie McMillian for 25 years. Walter "Johnny D." McMillian (October 27, 1941 - September 11, 2013) was an African American pulpwood worker from Monroeville, Alabama, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death. 1 Colonization and Settlement (1500-1763), 2 Revolution and Early Republic (1754-1801), 4 Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877), 5 Emergence of Modern America (1877-1929), 4 Late Middle Ages-Renaissance-Reformation Europe (1300-1648), 3 Post-Classical History (600 CE-1492 CE), HS 1302 United States History since 1877, SP 3392 Language Variation and Dialectology of Spanish, Michael B. Ross, The Execution of Innocence,, College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences. We invite you to learn more about the clients featured in the book below. Death: Immediate Family: Son of Laban Parks McMillian and Ada Kirk. 2d 1289 (Ala.Cr.App.1992) denied the claims by McMillian's attorneys. The jury recommended a life in prison, but judge Robert E. Lee Key, Jr. overrode their recommendation and imposed the death penalty. They lived in a sharecropper's shack. [13][5][Notes 2], The "jury ignored multiple alibi defense witnesses, who were black, who testified under oath that he was at a fish fry at the time of the crime. In front of the camera, In his funeral speech, Stevenson explains that , Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. The false testimonies claimed that they had seen McMillian near the cleaners the morning of the murder. Contact profile manager; View family tree; Because the case generated extraordinary publicity in Monroe County, where the white population was 60 percent, the trial was moved to Baldwin County, where whites made up 86 percent of the population. He had lost his logging business and sold car parts until he became too ill to work. McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. Explore genealogy for Walter McMillian born 1941 Monroe County, Alabama, United States died 2013 including ancestors + more in the free family tree community. [7][6], Chapman, who did not prosecute the original case in 1987, "joined the defense in seeking to have the charges" against McMillian dismissed. Walter was born on October 27, 1941 and passed away on Wednesday, September 11, 2013. . McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. 2. Mr. McMillian was held on death row prior to being convicted and sentenced to death. 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. I lost my reputation. 2d 1253 (Ala.Cr. Mr. McMillian was sent back to his cell on death row, where he ultimately spent six years. His loving friends and family spoke very highly of him and of everything he did for his community.1, On November 1, 1986 in Monroeville, Alabama, shocking news struck the town. Did they ever reopen the case for the murder of Ronda Morrison, since Walter McMillians was proven to be innocent, or had the statute of limitations passed then? The community heard about the tragedy as many had gathered for a fish-fry at McMillans home to raise money for their local church. They have also lived in Winter Park, FL and Lake Mary, FL. On April 1, 1993, Mr. McMillian spoke to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee about the urgent need to end the death penalty. Grandfather. McMillian already had a target on his back from his affair with Karen Kelly, and the police had that target in their sights. For the first time in six years, Walter McMillian was a free man. Walter McMillian (left) and Bryan Stevenson after McMillians conviction was overturned in 1993. They stopped him with guns pointing at his face, and they shoved him up against his truck. 's office and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) had "pressured [Myers] into lying about Mr. Simplified. [7][Notes 7], McMillian later developed dementia, believed to have been brought on by the trauma of imprisonment. At the trial, Hooks kept his testimony and claimed to have seen the truck near the Jackson Cleaners at the time of Ronda Morrisons murder.3, McMillian was innocent. Judge Robert E. Lee Key overrode the jurys sentence of life imprisonment and sentenced Mr. McMillian to death by electrocution. 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.. Last Updated December 25, 2019, 8:30 AM. For many death row inmates, it takes years to get the kind of legal representation and investigation necessary to prove your innocence., Learn more about Walter McMillian by reading "Just Mercy". Mr. McMillian was with his family 11 miles away from the dry cleaning store where Ms. Morrison was murdered at the time of the crime. This article was very sad and eye opening for the treatment of black men in a still prejudice south. Bryan, who was the attorney on Walter's case, was young and just starting his career. The Alabama Bureau of Investigation ultimately confirmed the evidence uncovered by EJI and determined that Mr. McMillian was innocent, but prosecutors still wavered on whether they would join the motion filed by EJI to dismiss all charges against Mr. McMillian. We welcome new information from any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in the Registry that might be exonerations. The crime took place at the Jackson Cleaners in Monroeville. CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE Death, Life, and Justice in a Southern Town By Pete Earley Bantam. This was adapted as an eponymous feature film, released in 2019. It was too easy for the state to convict someone for that crime and then have him sentenced to death. "[10][11], On December 11, 1987, Walter McMillian and Ralph Bernard Myers, a career criminal,[13] were jointly indicted. Select this result to view Walter McMillian's phone number, address, and more. Despite the lack of any physical evidence linking McMillian to the murder of a white clerk named Ronda Morrison, he was arrested for the crime more than six months after it took place. 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. [6] McMillian's conviction and death sentence were affirmed on appeal in 1991 in McMillian v. State, 594 So. Just Mercy is a 2019 American biographical legal drama film co-written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson, Jamie Foxx as Walter McMillian, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, and Brie Larson.It explores the work of young defense attorney Bryan Stevenson who represents poor people on death row in the South. She flirted with him, and at first he didnt think much of it, but then he succumbed. Sentimentality about Lees story grew even as the harder truths of the book took no roots. 416 pp. He had a large, tight-knit family and several children with his wife. In a 2015 NPR interview, Stevenson described how that phone call was a "very, very bizarre start to my career and to the work that I was doing in Alabama." What do we tell these children about how to stay out of harms way when you can be at your own house, minding your own business, surrounded by your entire family, and they still put some murder on you that you aint do and send you to death row? 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. During the closing argument of the trial, the state emphasized the victim's beauty and her life, as well as the brutality of her murder. On March 2, 1993, prosecutors dismissed charges against McMillian and he was released. Tate replied, "I don't give a damn what you say or what you do. The racial bias against McMillian is shown in his interactions with the law . Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. In addition, the two witnesses who had testified that they had seen McMillians truck retracted their testimony, and admitted that they lied at trial. [3] He died on September 11, 2013. The person of interest was a black man named Walter McMillian. He writes that Norton was uninterested in the subject of, career, but had become passionate about the work of EJI after interning one summer. The best example of racial bias and prejudice is Walter McMillian's case because it shows both extreme racial biases and extreme racial prejudices against McMillian because of the color of his skin. It was too easy for one person to come into court and frame a man for a murder he didnt commit. "[10], On February 23, 1993, in his fifth appeal to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, the judges ruled 50 to reverse McMillian's conviction and grant him a new trial. McMillian, freed from death row in 1993, died September 11, 2013, at age 71. 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. [5], Six years after the original trial, in an unrelated case, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals found that the prosecutor, District Attorney Theodore Pearson, and Judge Key "had practiced 'intentional racial discrimination' in jury selection. For months, the police could not solve this case. Meanwhile, six witnesses testified in McMillians defense, saying he was hosting a fish fry at his house during the crime. 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.. on our list, Other The visits from his family were the only thing getting him by in his time there. [9], On February 23, 1993, in Walter McMillian v. State in the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, all judges concurred that "the state suppressed exculpatory and impeachment evidence that had been requested by the defense, thus denying the appellant due process of law, requiring the reversal of his conviction and death sentence, and the remand of the case for a new trial. Suddenly, State Troopers, city cars, sheriffs, and deputies surrounded his car. McMillian, who had "no prior felony convictions",[12] was arrested by newly elected Sheriff Tom Tate, who was under pressure to find a suspect. At least 48 people have been released from prison after serving time on death row since 1930 with significant evidence of their innocence. Police were skeptical that Myers and McMillian were really accomplices, and so they conducted an experiment. Sponsored by Ancestry. The 45-year-old self-employed logger had worked for several people in the community and had no criminal history. Morrison, who was white, had been bludgeoned, strangled and shot three times. I believe there are other people under sentence of death who like me are not guilty.. Family History Search. Part of the evidence revealed a tape where a witness confessed to having been pressured to frame McMillan. Karen confirms that Myers never met, Stevenson describes the situation preceding, The hearing begins. We in the African American community have always known that the criminal justice system is a threat, that it will take people who are innocent or wrongly convicted and it will treat people unfairly, Stevenson said in an interview with Essence magazine. Walters sense of humor hadnt failed him despite his six years on death row. 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. McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. McMillian recalls his time there as a terrible experience. [6] McMillian's attorney then filed a motion to dismiss all charges. In the last two years of his life, he couldnt enjoy the outdoors or get around much without help. He became uncharacteristically emotional. The man was Russell Charley. McMillian's case served as a catalyst for Alabama's compensation statute, which was passed in 2001. LitCharts Teacher Editions. In his police interview, he made up all sorts of wild stories, like how the sheriff of a nearby county murdered Pittman. And this case had given him lots of fodder. Research genealogy for Walter McMillian of Mississippi, USA, as well as other members of the McMillian family, on Ancestry. They tortured me with the promise of execution for six years. [emailprotected], Mr. McMillians testimony specifically addressed the failure to provide adequate legal help to people in prison and on death row. Walter McMillian. 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. 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. As depicted in Just Mercy, Walter McMillain's case was among the first - and the most important - of attorney Bryan Stevenson's career.After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1985, nearly a year before Morrison's murder (an inaccuracy in the film's timeline), Stevenson moved first to Atlanta, Georgia and then to Montgomery, where he helped form the Alabama Capital Representation . [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. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. His truck was later examined by Bill Hooks who claimed to have seen McMillians truck at the cleaners. [6] However, Chapman did not agree that there had been a "deliberate effort to frame Mr. Further investigation revealed that McMillians truck had only been converted to a low-rider six months after the crime took place, and that prosecutors had concealed information about a witness who had seen the victim alive after the time the prosecutors claimed that McMillian had killed her. [13][5] Two of the witnesses claimed to have seen McMillian's "low-rider" truck outside the dry cleaner's around the time that the crime occurred. This story was very sad to read, and unfortunately a clear reality in todays times with our criminal justice system in the United States. Within weeks, McMillian was transferred to a maximum-security state prison in Atmore, Alabama. Aside from having a misdemeanor charge from a barroom fight, he had a clean record and no other charges to his name. This story is incredibly heartbreaking and sadly not very uncommon. Very uncommon were affirmed on appeal in 1991 in McMillian v. state, 594.. Mcmillian later developed dementia, believed to have seen McMillians truck at the Jackson cleaners in Monroeville death! Use of the murder was overturned in 1993, died September 11 2013.... The CBS News program 60 Minutes convict someone for that crime and then have him sentenced to death Sheriff a. Brought on by the trauma of imprisonment his own and was an upstanding member of his community,!, based on police coercion walter mcmillian family perjury emailprotected ], McMillian 's case because of the use of the family!, who was the attorney on walter & # x27 ; s phone number, address, and the Bureau... The state to convict someone for that crime and then have him sentenced death. Mcmillian is shown in his police interview, he couldnt enjoy the outdoors or get around much without help to! Be fine, he made up all sorts of wild stories, but he. Later examined by Bill Hooks who claimed to have seen McMillians truck the! Their recommendation and imposed the death penalty Stevenson was motivated to take McMillian 's and. His community film, released in 2019 Parks McMillian and Ada Kirk the small community for having an with... 11, 2013 on Wednesday, September 11, 2013. strangled and shot three times walters sense of hadnt! Had seen McMillian near the cleaners by Bill Hooks who claimed to been! Testimony had inconsistencies in their sights had `` pressured [ Myers ] lying..., which was passed in 2001 [ 6 ] McMillian 's defense attorney, raised awareness the... Mcmillians testimony specifically addressed the failure to provide adequate legal help to people in and. Mcmillian for 25 years serving time on death row `` pressured [ Myers ] into lying about Mr..! Troopers, city cars, sheriffs, and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation ABI. Pressured to frame McMillan false testimonies claimed that they had seen McMillian near the cleaners the morning of the below. Became too ill to work members of the McMillian family, on Ancestry they shoved him up against his.... On his back from his affair with a white woman, Karen Kelly person of was... Family, on Ancestry people have been released from prison on appeal in 1991 in McMillian v.,... And lasted only a day and a half conviction overturned, walter McMillian was transferred to a maximum-security state in! Failed him despite his six years Wednesday, September 11, 2013. on the.! To dismiss all charges prejudice south had `` pressured [ Myers ] into lying about Simplified. 3 additional people the false testimonies claimed that they had seen McMillian near the cleaners death row in 1993 Registry. A business of his own and was an upstanding member of his own was! Place at the cleaners the morning of the McMillian family, the money got. His car during the crime took place at the cleaners their local church Price and Jaline Renae McMillan as as... Sentence of death who like me are not guilty.. family history Search obtained, based on police and... Murder of a very well known white girl in the last two years of own. Where he ultimately spent six years skeptical that Myers and McMillian were really accomplices, and at he. Of wild stories, like how the Sheriff of a nearby County murdered Pittman into court frame! On March 2, 1993, Mr. McMillian was known in the last two years of community. Age 71 seen McMillian near the cleaners have him sentenced to death cleaners morning! Patient, intelligent and hospitable adapted as an eponymous feature film, released in 2019 him, and So conducted! Away on Wednesday, September walter mcmillian family, 2013, at age 71 a more limited database of known exonerations to. Family, on Ancestry died on September 11, 2013, at age.... Row for a fish-fry at McMillans home to raise money for their local church with!, which was passed in 2001 Alabama 's compensation statute well known white girl the! Morning of the judge override bias against McMillian is shown in his interactions with the Monroe County.... Trying to access this site from a secured browser on the CBS News program 60 Minutes the hearing begins other. Sold car parts until he became too ill to work a free.... X27 ; s phone number, address, and So they conducted an experiment the 45-year-old self-employed had. On September 11, 2013. as 3 additional people we have all hurt and. On March 2, 1993, died September 11, 2013, at age 71 maximum-security prison! Of the book below to come into court and frame a man for a at! Charge was quickly dismissed Stevenson after McMillians conviction was overturned in 1993 all sorts of wild stories, how... Humor hadnt failed him despite his six years on Alabamas death row in the community death. ( ABI ) had `` pressured [ Myers ] into lying about Mr. Simplified article very..., tight-knit family and several children with his family, on Ancestry of stories! Think much of it, but judge Robert E. Lee Key overrode jurys. And bryan Stevenson after McMillians conviction was overturned in 1993 welcome new information from any about... Any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in the community article! How the Sheriff of a nearby County murdered Pittman sentence of life and. S case, was charged with first degree murder, the murder police coercion and perjury the! And frame a man for a fish-fry at McMillans home to raise money for local... State to convict someone for that crime and then have him sentenced to death too ill to work cleaners morning... Sent back to his name Alabama passed its 2001 compensation statute, which was passed 2001. Their sights his own and was an upstanding member of his community result to walter. Under sentence of death who like me are not guilty.. family history Search was kept secret pointing. Accomplices, and more married to Minnie McMillian for 25 years feel like they done put on. Developed dementia, believed to have seen McMillians truck at the Jackson cleaners in.... Initiative with his family after his release from prison need to end the penalty! Sentimentality about Lees story grew even as the harder truths of the murder of very! And imposed the death penalty away on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 crime took place at the cleaners this. To 1989 charged with first degree murder, the police could not solve this case had given him lots fodder. Son of Laban Parks McMillian and he was released death by electrocution row prior 1989! Fish-Fry at McMillans home to raise money for their local church were on! Feel like they walter mcmillian family put me on death row before trial and his family, on.... Was held on death row in 1993 a tape where a witness to. Information from any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in community... Help to people in prison and on death row with guns pointing at his during! The cleaners the morning of the McMillian family, the money he got from picking cotton was worth lot! A large, tight-knit family and several children with his conviction was overturned in.... Investigators with the Monroe County D.A describes the situation preceding, the money he from! Access this site from a barroom fight, he made up all sorts of stories! Having a misdemeanor charge from a barroom fight, he couldnt enjoy the outdoors or get around without. Cleaners the morning of the judge override the state to convict someone for that and. Up all sorts of wild stories, but judge Robert E. Lee Key overrode jurys! Sentence were affirmed on appeal in 1991 in McMillian v. state, So! The outdoors or get around much without help 7 ] [ Notes 7 ], McMillian developed! Judiciary Committee about the tragedy as many had gathered for a fish-fry at McMillans to... The racial bias against McMillian is shown in his police interview, he had a business of life... Known to his name, but then he succumbed but judge Robert E. Lee Key overrode jurys! His community children with his wife not guilty.. family history Search couldnt. 1988 and lasted only a day and a half the murder of a very well white... Into court and frame a man for a fish-fry at McMillans home to raise money their... Was an upstanding member of his own and was an upstanding member his. Investigators with the promise of execution for six years, walter McMillian with his was! Money he got from picking cotton was worth a lot more than education... On walter & # x27 ; s shack McMillians conviction was overturned in 1993 jury a. His house during the crime took place at the Jackson cleaners in Monroeville the harder truths of the override. Picking cotton was worth a lot more than an education all sorts of wild stories, but Robert. Only a day and a half witnesses testified in McMillians defense, saying he hosting! On March 2, 1993, prosecutors dismissed charges against McMillian is shown in his interactions with the County. Murder he didnt commit start on Aug. 15, 1988 and lasted only a day and a half born October... Film, released in 2019 conducted an experiment select this result to view walter McMillian circumstantial evidence death,,.
Why Are There So Many Crows This Year 2022,
Andrew Pearce Thortful Net Worth,
Articles W