With no leads for six months, the police focused their attention on Walter McMilllian. Stevenson came across McMillians case and met with him and began working on appealing his case. DuBois's short story "Of the Coming of John", which he discusses on page 100-101. Journalist Pete Earley covered it in his book Circumstantial Evidence: Death, Life, and Justice in a Southern Town (1995). 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. Walter McMillian lived an ordinary life alongside his wife Minnie McMillian and their three children. Again, great work! This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McMillan research. Equal Justice InitiativeWalter McMillian with his family after his release from prison. I'm going to put twelve people on a jury who are going to find your goddamn black ass guilty. The reveal of the witness being pressured to testify proves that the laws that help prevent these things dont always work. $23.95. . The sheriff arranged for Mr. McMillian to be placed on death row before his trialwhen he hadnt even been convicted of a crime. They were close their community and church. 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. Walter was born on October 27, 1941 and passed away on Wednesday, September 11, 2013. . We can embrace our humanness, which means embracing our broken natures and the compassion that remains our best hope for healing. Equal Justice Initiative Walter McMillian with his family after his release from prison. One of the many Alabama cases assigned to him is that of. That one testimony of Hooks was all it took to convict him for the murder of Ronda Morrison. They had 2 children: Isabella Mae McMillan and one other child. 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. In November 1988, 28-year-old attorney Bryan Stevenson, a Harvard Law School and Harvard School of Government graduate, who was the director of the newly formed Alabama Capital Representation Resource Center in Montgomery, took on the task of appealing the case. Subsequently, McMillian settled with other officials for an undisclosed amount. on our list, Other Stevenson presented the newfound evidence at hearings and appeals before the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. [7], In the fall of 1992, McMillian's case received national attention in the CBS News program 60 Minutes. App.1991). It was too easy for one person to come into court and frame a man for a murder he didnt commit. Walter McMillian passed away on September 11, 2013.7. Sentimentality about Lees story grew even as the harder truths of the book took no roots. [10][11], The 2019 film Just Mercy dramatizes McMillian's case, and stars Jamie Foxx as McMillian and Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson, with direction by Destin Daniel Cretton, based on Stevenson's 2014 book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption.[20]. This was adapted as an eponymous feature film, released in 2019. [14] Key remarked that "McMillian deserved to be executed for the brutal killing of a young lady in the first full flower of adulthood. memorial page for Albert Walter McMillian (13 Oct 1862-2 Oct 1948), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7915499, citing Oakland Cemetery, Saint Paul . McMillians original attorneys in the trial, J.L. "[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. 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. Throughout the case, Stevenson battles political and legal maneuverings, as well as overt and institutional racism, all in the name of fighting for . [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. No fingerprints, no fibers not a single piece of physical evidence connecting McMillian to the crime scene. His conviction was wrongfully obtained, based on police coercion and perjury. Walter McMillian (1941 - 2013) . This story was very sad to read, and unfortunately a clear reality in todays times with our criminal justice system in the United States. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Walter McMillian was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. Instant downloads of all 1682 LitChart PDFs The people of Monroeville, Alabama was shaken up with fear and anger by Morrison's murder. "[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 implicated not just himself, but McMillian as well. Walters sense of humor hadnt failed him despite his six years on death row. 416 pp. But the jury 11 white members and one black member took the prosecutions word. We have all hurt someone and have been hurt. This article was very sad and eye opening for the treatment of black men in a still prejudice south. Last Updated December 25, 2019, 8:30 AM. It was a pleasure to read this article about William McMillan. In addition, the two witnesses who had testified that they had seen McMillians truck retracted their testimony, and admitted that they lied at trial. McMillian was looking at two options for his sentence: death by electrocution, or life in prison. Advertisement. There was a new county sheriff, and people were whispering about his incompetence. The appellant, Walter McMillian, was jointly indicted with Ralph Bernard Myers in a two-count indictment on December 11, 1987, in Monroe County, for the offense of murder made capital because it was committed during a robbery in the first degree, a violation of 13A-5-40(a)(2), Code of Alabama 1975. [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. In 1988, Walter McMillian, a Black man, was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death for . He "did not have a history of violence. They separate after Walter's release, but she remains involved in his life and in his care during his long-term illness. The nearly all-white jury convicted Mr. McMillian of capital murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment without parole. The racial bias against McMillian is shown in his interactions with the law . (including. HBOWalter McMillian (left) meets with his attorney, Bryan Stevenson. When asked whether his change of fortune restored his faith in the justice system, McMillian simply replied, No. Alabama Releases Man Held on Death Row for Six Years, Walter McMillian's Statement to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Wrongfully Convicted Man Recalls Death Row, 122 Commerce Street Montgomery, AL 36104 - celebrated for convicting Walter McMillian - refused to release Walter McMillian despite family members, church members, black pastors, and others pleading with him and offering their testimonies - brought Walter McMillian to death row (Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama) from the county jail on August 1st, 1987 A student organization of St. Marys University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines. Hooks later testified at McMillians trial. 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. It is also so sad to think about the families of those who are wronged by the justice system and to imagine what they themselves are going through. People were more concerned with convicting an innocent man of a murder he did not commit rather than finding the victims murderer. McMillian's case served as a catalyst for Alabama's compensation statute, which was passed in 2001. [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. Stevenson recounts the story Myers gave during. 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. From my cell you could smell the stench of burning flesh. He was a family friend, and the rumor was that hed been lynched for dating a white woman. 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". Family History Search. Husband of Libbie Wood. Just Mercy tells the story of EJI's clients, from Walter McMillian and Anthony Ray Hinton who were exonerated from Alabama's death row to Joe Sullivan and Ian Manuel who won release after being sentenced to die in prison for nonhomicide crimes in Florida when they were just 13 years old. Contact profile manager; View family tree; . A deputy then revealed to McMillian that the initial charge was only a way to impound his truck. They knew their statements against a white mans perjured testimony didnt stand a chance.4, McMillians trial lasted two days. [6] McMillian's attorney then filed a motion to dismiss all charges. 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. Research genealogy for Walter Mcmillian of Florida, as well as other members of the Mcmillian family, on Ancestry. All he could do was sit there and listen as three witnesses for the prosecution lied in their testimonies. They found evidence that the States witnesses against Mr. McMillian had been coerced, including tape recordings proving that the States only eyewitness had been pressured to testify falsely at Mr. McMillians trial. McMillian." With his conviction overturned, Walter McMillian was released from death row in 1993. harrowing last words of 23 executed criminals. 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. [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. One of his early cases was that of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who is put on deathrow in 1987 for the murder of an eighteen year-old White girl, regardless of the evidence proving his innocence. The police wouldnt buy it, and so Myers said he had information on the Morrison case. The case outlines the basic premise of frustrated local law enforcement, the DA of Monroe County, needed to, for lack of a better term, save his ass. What seemed to bring him attention is that hed had an affair with a married white woman. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000. They threatened me for six years. I believe there are other people under sentence of death who like me are not guilty.. In 1988, Walter McMillian, a black man, was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death for murdering an 18-year-old white woman in Monroeville, Alabama. 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. [9], Following his own trial and sentencing, Ralph Bernard Myers told McMillian's trial counsel that the testimony he gave "against McMillian was false. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. 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 . According to Myers, reinstated in 1975, the majority of Alabama death row inmates have been black, although when, that the practice is occurring. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration 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 crime took place at the Jackson Cleaners in Monroeville. The second best result is Walter McMillian age 70s in Orlando, FL in the Holden Heights neighborhood. Grandfather. In the 1988 trial, under a controversial Alabama doctrine called "judicial override", the judge imposed the death . Years later when the case settled, the compensation was much less than had been hoped. Report an error or add more information about this case. [3][12] McMillian was arrested in June 1987. After he had decided to take the appeal, he got a phone call from Judge Key discouraging Stevenson from taking the case. 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. We invite you to learn more about the clients featured in the book below. 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. McMillian recalls his time there as a terrible experience. McMillian was shocked and absolutely saddened to hear about it. 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. I ought to take you off and hang you like we done that nigger in Mobile. Genealogy for Walter Miles McMillian (1850 - 1922) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Walter McMillian. McMillian. 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.. 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. Mr. McMillian was an unlikely suspect. In what The New York Times described as "an extraordinary move", McMillian "was immediately sent to Alabama's Death Row, in Holman State Prison, Atmore, which is usually reserved for convicted murderers awaiting execution. I lost my reputation. [5][14], The two witnesses who had testified that they had seen McMillian's truck retracted their testimony, and admitted that they lied at trial, committing perjury. 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. 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.. The community heard about the tragedy as many had gathered for a fish-fry at McMillans home to raise money for their local church. "[6] Stevenson disagreed, telling the court that "it was far too easy to convict this wrongly accused man for murder and send him to death row for something he didn't do and much too hard to win his freedom after proving his innocence. Supporters celebrated Mr. McMillians release. By the 1950s, however, cotton became less profitable, and the state of Alabama helped many white farmers transition to growing and chopping timber. This was Alabama in 1986. CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE Death, Life, and Justice in a Southern Town By Pete Earley Bantam. When she was five years old, her mother died of consumption, weakened from the grueling delivery of Mary's younger sister and heartbroken by the baby's untimely death. TRIAL: Defense asked for the trial to be moved from Monroe County to Baldwin County in Alabama due to the publicity. But when the word got out about their affair, he grew worried. Walter McMillian was among the first exonerees from death row in the modern era. [3] A journalist described him as a "black pulpwood worker". [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. WRONGFUL CONVICTION 2 In Monroeville, Alabama November 1, 1986, a white woman by the name of Ronda Morrison was murdered. information about the Registry, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct. It was too easy for the state to convict someone for that crime and then have him sentenced to death. The petition also alleged that the state of Alabama "had violated his constitutional rights by withholding exculpatory and impeachment information". . Early History of the McMillan family. 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