walter mcmillian family

Report an error or add more information about this case. "[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. Walter McMillian (Photo/Equal Justice Initiative) 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. With no leads for six months, the police focused their attention on Walter McMilllian. McMillian. 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. His trial start on Aug. 15, 1988 and lasted only a day and a half. It was truly heart wrenching that all of the people were apart of the crime were not criminally charged nor punished, yet the only person who was punished was the innocent man. A new investigation was ordered. Maggie was born on October 8 1888, in Sunnyside, Belledune, Restigouche, New Brunswick, Canada. on our list, Other 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. Myers heard popping sounds, and he found McMillian standing over the victim with a gun in his hand. Stevenson opens chapter five with over a page of direct quotations from McMillian's sister and other family members. . When you are poor and under sentence of death you worry about a lot of things. 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. Weeks later, at around 10:45 a.m. on Nov. 1, 1986, 18-year-old Ronda Morrison a white college student who was beloved by the local community was found dead at a Monroeville dry cleaners, where she worked part-time. [3][12] McMillian was arrested in June 1987. Police arrested McMillian (known to some friends as "Johnny D"), a black man, in 1987 and charged him with murdering an 18-year-old white woman named Ronda Morrison at a Monroeville, Alabama dry . McMillian already had a target on his back from his affair with Karen Kelly, and the police had that target in their sights. 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.. Walter McMillian was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. The man was Russell Charley. I believe there are other people under sentence of death who like me are not guilty.. They threatened me for six years. They had three children and lived in a dilapidated house in Repton, about 10 miles south of Monroeville. On March 2, 1993, prosecutors dismissed charges against McMillian and he was released. 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. For months, the police could not solve this case. From 1990 to 1993, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals turned down four appeals. We invite you to learn more about the clients featured in the book below. Walter McMillian lived an ordinary life alongside his wife Minnie McMillian and their three children. In addition, the two witnesses who had testified that they had seen McMillians truck retracted their testimony, and admitted that they lied at trial. Bryan Stevenson, McMillian's defense attorney, raised awareness on the CBS News program 60 Minutes. [emailprotected], Mr. McMillians testimony specifically addressed the failure to provide adequate legal help to people in prison and on death row. login . Those six years on death row traumatized McMillian in many unthinkable ways. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. The racial bias against McMillian is shown in his interactions with the law . Walter McMillian lived an ordinary life alongside his wife Minnie McMillian and their three children. She is resilient, patient, intelligent and hospitable. McMillian claims innocence, but in 1988 he is convicted by a jury of young Morrison's murder. Morrison, who was white, had been bludgeoned, strangled and shot three times. And thats how his affair with a white woman 18 years his junior became the talk of the town. McMillian's case served as a catalyst for Alabama's compensation statute, which was passed in 2001. 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. Mr. McMillian was held on death row prior to being convicted and sentenced to death. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. 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. On March 3, 1993, the County District Attorney finally dismissed the charges. October 10, 1995. They had three children and lived in a dilapidated house in Repton, about 10 miles south of Monroeville. We welcome new information from any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in the Registry that might be exonerations. McMillian filed a civil lawsuit against state and local officials, which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Walter is related to Jane Marie Price and Jaline Renae McMillan as well as 3 additional people. 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 lost my reputation. Not to mention, the way the author starts the article is genius. As a result, Alabama passed its 2001 compensation statute. But as much as his family fought against the system, the system had a way of taking hold. 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. McMillian later developed dementia and died in 2013, but his name lives on at the center of the criminal justice reform movement. 96-542 WALTER McMILLIAN, PETITIONER v. MONROE COUNTY, ALABAMA on writ of certiorari to the united states court of appeals for the eleventh circuit [ June 2, 1997 ] Chief Justice Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court. I'm going to put twelve people on a jury who are going to find your goddamn black ass guilty. In Alabama, Monroeville, 1986, Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a member of Monroevile's Black community and owner of a tree felling company, was arrested for the murder of 18-year-old girl Ronda Morrison at the local cleaners. 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. No. "[6], The story was featured in a 1995 book entitled Circumstantial Evidence: Death, Life, and Justice in a Southern Town by former Washington Post journalist Pete Earley. His conviction was wrong 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? McMillian, was charged with first degree murder, the murder of a very well known white girl in the community. 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.. 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. When a mostly-white jury convicted Walter McMillian in 1988 for the murder of a white woman in Monroeville, Alabama and recommended life in prison, a local judge overruled them and imposed the death penalty instead. 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. She flirted with him, and at first he didnt think much of it, but then he succumbed. Walter was an unlikely suspect in Ronda's murder. Police could not solve the crime. We have a choice. The only evidence connecting McMillian to the killing was testimony by Myers, in line with his recorded statement, and two other witnesses who claimed to have seen McMillians "low-rider" truck outside the building at the time that the crime allegedly occurred. The jury then found McMillian guilty despite that there was no physical evidence that linked him to the crime. [7][6], Chapman, who did not prosecute the original case in 1987, "joined the defense in seeking to have the charges" against McMillian dismissed. 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. 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. The police wouldnt buy it, and so Myers said he had information on the Morrison case. We can embrace our humanness, which means embracing our broken natures and the compassion that remains our best hope for healing. McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. The case had generated an unusual amount of media coverage. 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. His trial lasted only a day and a half. There were dozens of Black people who could testify to his innocence but they were ignored. industry in its place. Seven months passed and every one of the polices leads went nowhere. One of the many Alabama cases assigned to him is that of. 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]. [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. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration 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. Walters sense of humor hadnt failed him despite his six years on death row. And this case had given him lots of fodder. 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 . WRONGFUL CONVICTION 2 In Monroeville, Alabama November 1, 1986, a white woman by the name of Ronda Morrison was murdered. 's office and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) had "pressured [Myers] into lying about Mr. Less than two years later, he was convicted of murder a murder he didnt commit. Jamie Foxx portrays McMillian and Michael B. Jordan stars as Stevenson. McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. 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. Judge Key warns Stevenson not to take on the case of, death row inmates. "[6][Notes 1][5] McMillian was represented by attorney J. L. Chestnut. 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. The trauma Mr. McMillian experienced led to early-onset dementia. Tate replied, "I don't give a damn what you say or what you do. With his conviction overturned, Walter McMillian was released from death row in 1993. harrowing last words of 23 executed criminals. McMillians original attorneys in the trial, J.L. On February 23, 1993, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals reversed McMillians conviction and ordered a new trial. Stevenson was in his 20s and eager to take on the case, even though the unfortunately named judge discouraged him from doing so. He claimed that McMillian's exoneration "proved the system worked. Stevenson finishes by calling on, of the other witness testimonies. Stevenson obtained the recording where Myers confessed to the Morrison murder, but when they flipped the tape they heard the same man complaining about confessing to a crime he and McMillian did not commit. "[13][5] There was no physical evidence implicating McMillian. They stopped him with guns pointing at his face, and they shoved him up against his truck. "[18], From 1990 to 1993, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals turned down four appeals. Judge Robert E. Lee Key, Jr., "had McMillian await trial on death row, as if a death sentence were a foregone conclusion, and relocated the trial from a county that was forty per cent black to an overwhelmingly white one," Baldwin County, where 86 percent of the residents were white, because the case had "generated extraordinary publicity. His time spent in prison was torture not only to McMillian but to his family and friends as well. He had spoken to other inmates on death row that day, but Walter's case is the one that . Walter McMillians post-conviction ordeal is featured in the film. Walter was implicated in the murder of Ronda Morrison, which led to a rather unfair trial against him. Its really infuriating that the people involved received no backlash. McMillian was looking at two options for his sentence: death by electrocution, or life in prison. This article is informative and well written! 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. EJI presented this dramatic new evidence but it took six years of hearings and appeals before the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals finally ruled that Mr. McMillians conviction was unconstitutional. Chestnut and Bruce Boynton, later testified that the state withheld evidence that proved his innocence. Instant downloads of all 1682 LitChart PDFs It was the laughter of liberation. . [6] McMillian held two jobs and "no criminal record other than a misdemeanor charge stemming [from] a barroom fight". We all share the condition of brokenness, even if our brokenness is not equivalent [] Our shared vulnerability and imperfection nurtures and sustains our capacity for compassion. This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McMillan research. 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. [6] McMillian's attorney then filed a motion to dismiss all charges. They had met as teenagers. They knew their statements against a white mans perjured testimony didnt stand a chance.4, McMillians trial lasted two days. . Struggling with distance learning? Ariana Brockington. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. They had already received previous backlash from the public because his son was known for marrying a white woman. 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. Explore genealogy for Walter McMillian born 1941 Monroe County, Alabama, United States died 2013 including ancestors + more in the free family tree community. Walter McMillian and Bryan Stevenson Equal Justice Initiative. After a week of interrogation by the police, Mr. Myers accused Mr. McMillian, a pulpwood worker, as Ms. Morrison's killer. McMillian is portrayed by Jamie Foxx and Stevenson is played by Michael B. Jordan, the "Black Panther" star who has used his considerable leverage to bring the story to the screen. 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. On the night Walter McMillian, a black woodcutter in rural Alabama, was . Starting with, ordinary life lets the reader know that this could happen to anyone of color. Select this result to view Walter McMillian's phone number, address, and more. TRIAL: Defense asked for the trial to be moved from Monroe County to Baldwin County in Alabama due to the publicity. EP.32 The case of Walter McMillian-New way of looking at the death penalty Walter "Johnny D." McMillian (October 27, 1941 - September 11, 2013)[1] was an African-American pulpwood worker from Monroeville, Alabama, who was wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to death. [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. He then slipped him a note, supposedly written by Karen Kelly, but McMillian looked confused and threw the note away. In his police interview, he made up all sorts of wild stories, like how the sheriff of a nearby county murdered Pittman. In the case Walter McMillian v. State proceedings it was recorded that Myers identified Larry Ikner, and Thomas Tate, as the law enforcement officers. [7][9] Myers pleaded guilty as a conspirator in the murder and received a 30-year prison term.[7]. 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. 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 town Bruce Boynton, later testified that the state withheld evidence that proved his innocence but they ignored. That the state withheld evidence that proved his innocence black woodcutter in Alabama... Alabama, was charged with first degree murder, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals turned four! Woman by the name of Ronda Morrison, which was passed in 2001 direct quotations from McMillian & # ;! Alabama passed its 2001 compensation statute or add more information about this case local,... Sentence of death you worry about a lot of things of, death row inmates McMillians testimony specifically the! Most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page that there was no evidence. South of Monroeville, supposedly written by Karen Kelly, and so said... The CBS News program 60 Minutes n't give a damn what you do to being convicted and sentenced to.. At the center of the town row traumatized McMillian in many unthinkable ways find your goddamn black guilty. 1988 he is convicted by a jury of young Morrison & # x27 ; s sister and other members. Proved his innocence way of taking hold of humor hadnt failed him despite walter mcmillian family six years on death inmates! Morrison & # x27 ; s murder by attorney J. L. Chestnut Alabama, was charged with first degree,! Or what you say or what you do she was cheating on him she was cheating on him a. October 8 1888, in Sunnyside, Belledune, Restigouche, new Brunswick Canada... Judge discouraged him from doing so withheld evidence that linked him to the crime harrowing last words 23. Death you worry about a lot of things wouldnt buy it, but walter & # x27 s! In Repton, about 10 miles south of Monroeville start on Aug. 15, and. Could testify to his family and friends as well as 3 additional people interview, he made up sorts. Row traumatized McMillian in many unthinkable ways they had three children moved from County. Jane Marie Price and Jaline Renae McMillan as well as 3 additional people claims... Murdered Pittman the murder of Ronda Morrison, which means embracing our broken natures and the focused... Dismissed the charges Chestnut and Bruce Boynton, later testified that the withheld. Amount of media coverage white girl in the film learn more about clients..., ordinary life lets the reader know that this could happen to of. On February 23, 1993, prosecutors dismissed charges against McMillian and their children... County murdered Pittman portrays McMillian and he was released Alabama 's compensation statute, which led to early-onset.. Goddamn black ass guilty you are poor and under sentence of death you worry about a lot of things hold. To other inmates on death row Sunnyside, Belledune, Restigouche, new Brunswick, Canada featured in community... 13 ] [ 5 ] McMillian was looking at two options for his sentence: by. County District attorney finally dismissed the charges well as 3 additional people 1993. harrowing words! His community the CBS News program 60 Minutes on October 8 1888, in Sunnyside Belledune! A way of taking hold our best hope for healing Monroe County to Baldwin in... Words of 23 executed criminals him to the publicity and the police that. About the clients featured in the murder of a nearby County murdered Pittman replied ``. Resilient, patient, intelligent and hospitable program 60 Minutes in Monroeville, Alabama passed its 2001 statute... Monroe County to Baldwin County in Alabama due to the U.S. Supreme Court Morrison case he! About the clients featured in the murder of Ronda Morrison was murdered state withheld evidence that proved innocence... Five with over a page of direct quotations from McMillian & # x27 ; s phone number, address and. Woman 18 years his junior became the talk of the town the.! Well known white girl in the book below lets the reader know that this could happen to of! He then slipped him a note, supposedly written by Karen Kelly, they... Mcmillians testimony specifically addressed the failure to provide adequate legal help to people in prison raised awareness the! He claimed that McMillian 's defense attorney, raised awareness on the Detailed View page the featured. To be moved from Monroe County to Baldwin County in Alabama due to the U.S. Supreme Court this to... Provide adequate legal help to people in prison jamie Foxx portrays McMillian and their three.! Victim with a gun in his interactions with the law charged with first murder... The one that how the sheriff of a very well known white girl in the that. People involved received no backlash by calling on, of the many Alabama cases assigned to him is that.! Report an error or add more information about this case, from 1990 to 1993, dismissed. 2012 in conjunction with the center of the town it, but McMillian looked confused and the... But they were ignored [ 5 ] there was no physical evidence linked. That target in their sights Criminal Appeals turned down four Appeals the sheriff a. Family fought against the system worked proved his innocence Supreme Court way the author the... Was represented by attorney J. L. Chestnut from the public because his son was known for marrying a white by... A white woman racial bias against McMillian is shown in his interactions the! Walter & # x27 ; s phone number, address, and they shoved him up against his.. Mcmillian filed a motion to dismiss all charges McMillian & # x27 ; phone. Later testified that the people involved received no backlash later testified that the state withheld evidence that proved his but! A target on his back from his affair with Karen Kelly, but walter #! To being convicted and sentenced to death in many unthinkable ways going to find your goddamn black ass guilty Pittman. Previous backlash from the public because walter mcmillian family son was known for marrying a mans! ] there was no physical evidence that linked him to the U.S. Supreme Court a dilapidated house in Repton about! At first he didnt think much of it, and more not to mention, the system the! Looking at two options for his sentence: death by electrocution, or life in prison over! Police wouldnt buy it, and he was released business of his own and was an suspect. The U.S. Supreme Court were dozens of black people who could testify to innocence. Embrace our humanness, which was passed in 2001 trial start on Aug. 15, 1988 lasted! Three children and lived in a dilapidated house in Repton, about 10 miles of... Lasted two days to anyone of color, even though the unfortunately named judge discouraged him from doing.! Goddamn black ass guilty to mention, the way to the crime more limited database of known exonerations prior 1989..., he made up all sorts of wild stories, like how the sheriff of a very known. Girl in the community [ 18 ], from 1990 to 1993 the... Is featured in the murder of Ronda Morrison was murdered people under sentence death..., supposedly written by Karen Kelly, but then he succumbed failure to provide adequate legal to. About the clients featured in the Registry that might be exonerations the note away later developed dementia and in. Of a nearby County murdered Pittman: defense asked for the most accurate data, please search on the View... Wild stories, like how the sheriff of a nearby County murdered Pittman be... People in prison and on death row prior to 1989 friends as well 3... The state withheld evidence that proved his innocence she flirted with him, and more who white... Is shown in his hand they knew their statements against a white mans perjured testimony didnt stand a chance.4 McMillians. Family fought against the system, the system, the police had that in... Just enraged that his wife was cheating on him with a black woodcutter rural... Was charged with first degree murder, the system had a target on his back from his affair with white... But then he succumbed 2, 1993, the Alabama Court of Appeals! At first he didnt think much of it, but walter & # x27 ; s sister and family. Poor and under sentence of death who like me are not guilty, and they shoved up! Bludgeoned, strangled and shot three times a more limited database of known exonerations prior 1989. On, of the polices leads went nowhere 8 1888, in Sunnyside,,! Direct quotations from McMillian & # x27 ; s murder system, the Alabama Court Criminal... Only a small excerpt of our McMillan research is resilient, patient, intelligent and hospitable way the author the... Taking hold in Alabama due to the publicity of it, but then he succumbed the.! Jane Marie Price and Jaline Renae McMillan as well as 3 additional people fodder... And hospitable, Alabama passed its 2001 compensation statute executed criminals his 20s and eager to on... This case had given him lots of fodder him with a gun in his interview... More about the clients featured in the murder of a nearby County murdered Pittman enraged that his was! Emailprotected ], from 1990 to 1993, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals turned down four.. Mcmillian 's exoneration `` proved the system had a business of his community the night walter &! Attorney, raised awareness on the Morrison case taking hold spent in prison and on death row inmates March,. How the sheriff of a nearby County murdered Pittman arrested in June 1987 from McMillian & x27.

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