Wonder how many of them were white, if any minorities were serving at all. He had lost his logging business and sold car parts until he became too ill to work. Walter Lester McMillian, 72, of Fancy Gap, died May 26, 2002, in Beverly Health Care-Blue Ridge. Judge Key warns Stevenson not to take on the case of, death row inmates. Appellant told him that "I had a lovely family to be destroyed if I . Although there are still injustices for colored people in todays society, it Definitely has gotten better and Im glad that were working towards that. Starting with, ordinary life lets the reader know that this could happen to anyone of color. McMillian was completely clueless as to why this was happening to him. But the jury 11 white members and one black member took the prosecutions word. I had never heard about this case before reading this article, and it is unfortunate to read about McMillian and his experience. [6] McMillian held two jobs and "no criminal record other than a misdemeanor charge stemming [from] a barroom fight". Family History Search. The jury then found McMillian guilty despite that there was no physical evidence that linked him to the crime. 2d 1289 (Ala.Cr.App.1992) denied the claims by McMillian's attorneys. Since then, the EJI has made some landmark advances in leveling . Born on Oct. 27, 1941, McMillian grew up in one of several poor black settlements outside Monroeville. The story of Walter McMillian in Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson is the one that I found the most intriguing. 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. WRONGFUL CONVICTION 2 In Monroeville, Alabama November 1, 1986, a white woman by the name of Ronda Morrison was murdered. Like Walter, she is from the poor black community just outside of Monroeville. I have suffered pain, agony, loss, and fear in degrees that I had never imagined possible, he testified in 1993. 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. The way the content is organized, Walters legal case serves as the central storyline of the book. He was arrested by Monroe County Sheriff Tom Tate and eventually charged with capital murder. His time spent in prison was torture not only to McMillian but to his family and friends as well. It was clear that Myers and McMillian didnt know each other; Myers word was the sole evidence connecting McMillian to the crime. He knew it, his family knew it, and his friends knew it. He then slipped him a note, supposedly written by Karen Kelly, but McMillian looked confused and threw the note away. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Walter often sought better work to support his family. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. McMillian recalls his time there as a terrible experience. 2. 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. "[6] He was held there, pre-trial, for 15 months. 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. 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. The real-life Walter McMillian (left) and lawyer Bryan Stevenson. 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. Before Walter McMillian was released from death row. The jury recommended a life in prison, but judge Robert E. Lee Key, Jr. overrode their recommendation and imposed the death penalty. Kellys husband called McMillian to testify in their divorce proceedings. I am also worried about others. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Bryan, who was the attorney on Walter's case, was young and just starting his career. Walter McMillian passed away on September 11, 2013.7. 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 . A very public divorce between this woman and her husband pulled Mr. McMillian into the limelight and he soon went from someone having an interracial affair to someone thought to be capable of murder. It took a significant toll on his health and led to him developing early-onset dementia. 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.. 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. "[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. Walter was an unlikely suspect in Ronda's murder. They had met as teenagers. 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. [14] Key remarked that "McMillian deserved to be executed for the brutal killing of a young lady in the first full flower of adulthood. It was too easy for the state to convict someone for that crime and then have him sentenced to death. As a result, a stunning number of innocent people have been sentenced to death. McMillian, who had "no prior felony convictions",[12] was arrested by newly elected Sheriff Tom Tate, who was under pressure to find a suspect. Walter McMillian lived an ordinary life alongside his wife Minnie McMillian and their three children. What seemed to bring him attention is that hed had an affair with a married white woman. 2d 1253 (Ala.Cr. Jamie Foxx portrays McMillian and Michael B. Jordan stars as Stevenson. In 1992, Ed Bradley reported that the wrong man might have been sitting on Alabama's death row. During their first year together, they almost starved, with Walter working as a field hand for $14 per week. Stevenson presented the newfound evidence at hearings and appeals before the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Skip Ancestry main menu Main Menu. $23.95. 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. 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 . Teachers and parents! I lost my I lost my dignity.. He is survived by four sons and daughters-in-law, Jimmy and Brenda McMillian, Roger and Carol McMillian all of Galax, Charles and Sandra McMillian of Hillsville, Michael McMillian of Fancy Gap; three brothers, Rush. Less than two years later, he was convicted of murder a murder he didnt commit. Walter McMillian with his family after his release from prison. They separate after Walter's release, but she remains involved in his life and in his care during his long-term illness. Myers was picked up for a different murder, that of a poor white woman named Vickie Pittman. Despite having various witnesses on his side, it seemed useless. In his police interview, he made up all sorts of wild stories, like how the sheriff of a nearby county murdered Pittman. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. 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. Today, more than 160 people who were on death row have been proved innocent and released. Stevenson was in his 20s and eager to take on the case, even though the unfortunately named judge discouraged him from doing so. Husband of Libbie Wood. I believe there are other people under sentence of death who like me are not guilty.. [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. But we keep fighting.. Equal Justice InitiativeWalter McMillian with his family after his release from prison. 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. One of the biggest worries is whether youll get the kind of legal assistance you need to save you from execution, he testified. After six months, the police had a possible person of interest. The controversial case received national attention beginning in the fall of 1992. The visits from his family were the only thing getting him by in his time there. [2] Stevenson featured this early case of his career in a TED talk and in his memoir Just Mercy (2014). He had spoken to other inmates on death row that day, but Walter's case is the one that . He died on September 11, 2013. Walter McMillian was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. [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. "[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. Four former death row inmates have been released from prison just this year after their innocence became apparent: Kirk Bloodsworth, Federico Macias, Walter McMillian, and Gregory Wilhoit. 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. Part of the evidence revealed a tape where a witness confessed to having been pressured to frame McMillan. This was adapted as an eponymous feature film, released in 2019. Walter was implicated in the murder of Ronda Morrison, which led to a rather unfair trial against him. Research genealogy for Walter McMillian of Mississippi, USA, as well as other members of the McMillian family, on Ancestry. Bryan Stevenson, McMillian's defense attorney, raised awareness on the CBS News program 60 Minutes. It was too easy for one person to come into court and frame a man for a murder he didnt commit. McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. They tortured me with the promise of execution for six years. This article illuminates how unfair and biased the justice system is to the minorities but also people of color. 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. I don't give a damn what your people say either. Stevenson tries to hasten, rushes to the courthouse to pick up the 35-page ruling in which the judge nullifies, Before a new trial can be scheduled, Stevenson files a motion to have all of, The morning of the hearing, Stevenson tells, A camera crew came to the U.S. to interview EJI and people theyd represented, including. 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. The suspect, who was from a prominent family then fled town. Enter a grandparent's name. I feel sick about the six years that [McMillian] has spent in prison and the part I played in keeping him there. The officials involved in prosecuting McMillian received no punishment or removal from their positions. [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. (334) 269-1803 Supporters celebrated Mr. McMillians release. They had three children and lived in a dilapidated house in Repton, about 10 miles south of Monroeville. Police could not solve the crime. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Walter McMillian is in the back row. After reading about the remarkable life and work of attorney Bryan Stevenson, whos saved hundreds from prison, learn all about the case of the Central Park Five, a group of non-white teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of brutally raping a white woman in the 1980s. They put me on death row for six years! McMillian was convicted by a jury of eleven whites and one African American. Known to his friends and family as Johnny D, Mr. McMillian spent 15 harrowing and tortuous months on Alabamas death row before trial. 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. The . As a gregarious guy who owned his own business rare for a black man in the area McMillian was a bit of a local celebrity. 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. [9], Following his own trial and sentencing, Ralph Bernard Myers told McMillian's trial counsel that the testimony he gave "against McMillian was false. "[5] This practice, called judicial override, allows "elected trial judges to override jury verdicts of life and impose death sentences." "[13][5] There was no physical evidence implicating McMillian. Find Walter Mcmillian's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading online directory for contact information. His conviction was wrongfully obtained, based on police coercion and perjury. We have a choice. 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. Equal Justice InitiativeWalter McMillian spent six years on Alabamas death row for a murder he didnt commit. And he had an alibi: He was at a family fish fry the morning Ronda Morrison was murdered. Walter McMillian spent six years on Alabamas death row for a murder he didnt commit. 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. 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. Last Updated December 25, 2019, 8:30 AM. Mr. McMillians experience on death row was traumatic. . 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 people of Monroeville, Alabama was shaken up with fear and anger by Morrison's murder. The racial bias against McMillian is shown in his interactions with the law . It is a miracle that Mr. Stevenson reviewed Mr. McMillans case, without his review, an innocent man would been put to death due to racial discrimination. In a taped confession, Myers said he drove McMillian to the dry cleaners on the morning of Nov. 1, 1986, but McMillian entered the building alone. There were dozens of Black people who could testify to his innocence but they were ignored. "[10][11], On December 11, 1987, Walter McMillian and Ralph Bernard Myers, a career criminal,[13] were jointly indicted. When you are poor and under sentence of death you worry about a lot of things. In 1986, an 18-year-old white woman named Ronda Morrison was murdered in downtown Monroeville, Alabama. 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. Walter McMillian photographed outside of his home surrounded by family and friends. We welcome new information from any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in the Registry that might be exonerations. Born to a poor black family outside of Monroeville, Alabama, Walter became a successful small businessman as an adult. The trial began on August 15, 1988. A 60 Minutes segment and other national press coverage about his case led to other exonerations. [19] Subsequently, McMillian settled out of court with other officials for an undisclosed amount. Our death penalty system treats you better if youre rich and guilty than if youre poor and innocent. HBOWalter McMillian (left) meets with his attorney, Bryan Stevenson. Walter married Maggie Ella McMillan (born Miller) on month day 1908, at age 24 at marriage place. Sponsored by Ancestry. 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. / Walter McMillian (left) celebrates with family after Bryan Stevenson won his release from death row in 1993. I ought to take you off and hang you like we done that nigger in Mobile. McMillian clearly recalled the moment the news got to them. Myers already pleaded guilty as an accomplice in Morrisons murder and received a 30-year prison sentence avoiding a possible death sentence for the Pittman murder. Contact profile manager; View family tree; The community heard about the tragedy as many had gathered for a fish-fry at McMillans home to raise money for their local church. 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. Bryan Stevenson took on Mr. McMillians case in postconviction. Its narrative backbone is the story of Walter McMillian, whom Stevenson began representing in the late 1980s when he was on death row for killing a young white woman in Monroeville, Ala., the . And this case had given him lots of fodder. This story was very sad to read, and unfortunately a clear reality in todays times with our criminal justice system in the United States. He has won all but one of the five cases he's argued at the Court. Walter McMillian (left) and Bryan Stevenson after McMillians conviction was overturned in 1993. 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