He then slipped him a note, supposedly written by Karen Kelly, but McMillian looked confused and threw the note away. Another time journalism helped bring justice into worldview was in the Walter McMillian case. The trauma Mr. McMillian experienced led to early-onset dementia. Then, read the harrowing last words of 23 executed criminals. All he could do was sit there and listen as three witnesses for the prosecution lied in their testimonies. SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES No. The upcoming film, Just Mercy, focuses on a petition for a new trial led by Walter McMillians lawyer, Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative. Several months later, police arrested 30-year-old Ralph Myers, a career criminal, on suspicion of murdering a woman in nearby Escambia County. In his police interview, he made up all sorts of wild stories, like how the sheriff of a nearby county murdered Pittman. There was no evidence proving Walter McMillians guilt, and a mountain of evidence proving his innocence and the polices and prosecutions racist complicity in his conviction. 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. Walter McMillian lived an ordinary life alongside his wife Minnie McMillian and their three children. Teachers and parents! As Mr. Stevenson and the staff of EJI investigated the case, they discovered a ton of evidence that proved Mr. McMillian was innocent. 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. The fact that this man was innocent, and everyone knew, he was still guilty. I lost my reputation. Stevenson then visited McMillian's community and "met dozens of African-Americans who were with this condemned man at the time the crime took place 11 miles away who absolutely knew he was innocent. On April 1, 1993, Mr. McMillian spoke to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee about the urgent need to end the death penalty. Advertisement. He died on September 11, 2013. In Alabama, elected trial judges were authorized to override a jurys life verdict and impose the death penalty. One of the biggest worries is whether youll get the kind of legal assistance you need to save you from execution, he testified. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000. 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. 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. We have a choice. We encourage you to research and examine these . McMillian." A new investigation was ordered. [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. Aside from having a misdemeanor charge from a barroom fight, he had a clean record and no other charges to his name. [6][7][8] Both McMillian and the attorney he had in 1987, J. L. Chestnut, "contended that Mr. McMillian's relationships alone had made him a suspect. It tells the true story of Walter McMillian, who gets help from Bryan to appeal his murder conviction. I cant imagine how infuriating it must be to experience something like this. After listening to it, they flipped the tape over and discovered a recorded conversation in which Myers complained bitterly that he was being forced to implicate McMillian, whom he did not know, for a crime neither of them had any role in. But McMillian always proclaimed his innocence. Walter McMillian spent six years on Alabamas death row for a murder he didnt commit. 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. A deputy then revealed to McMillian that the initial charge was only a way to impound his truck. DuBois's short story "Of the Coming of John", which he discusses on page 100-101. After six months with no leads or suspects, their attention focused on Walter McMillian. I'm going to put twelve people on a jury who are going to find your goddamn black ass guilty. Walter McMillian was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. McMillian was looking at two options for his sentence: death by electrocution, or life in prison. Walter Miles McMillian's Geni Profile. While McMillian did receive an undisclosed amount of compensation, it was less than he had hoped for. Death: Immediate Family: Son of Laban Parks McMillian and Ada Kirk. In 1987 Walter McMillian (played by Foxx) was convicted of killing a white woman who was shot multiple times in the back at a dry cleaners. In the 1988 trial, under a controversial Alabama doctrine called "judicial override", the judge imposed the death penalty, although the jury had voted for a sentence of life imprisonment. They had already received previous backlash from the public because his son was known for marrying a white woman. 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. Tell Please enable scripts and reload this page. They knew their statements against a white mans perjured testimony didnt stand a chance.4, McMillians trial lasted two days. Report an error or add more information about this case. Stevenson recounts the story that Ralph Myers gave to police. They stopped him with guns pointing at his face, and they shoved him up against his truck. Select this result to view Walter McMillian's phone number, address, and more. They had 2 children: Isabella Mae McMillan and one other child. He has won all but one of the five cases he's argued at the Court. Kellys husband called McMillian to testify in their divorce proceedings. "[3] Monroe County was described by The Guardian as "a remote, dirt-poor region of pine trees and bean farms". On Feb. 23, 1993, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals reversed McMillians conviction and ordered a new trial. Stevenson finishes by calling on, of the other witness testimonies. The jury recommended a life sentence, but on September 19, 1988, the judge overrode the jurys recommendation and imposed the death penalty. Wonder how many of them were white, if any minorities were serving at all. In addition, one of his sons had married a white woman. 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. Before Walter McMillian was released from death row. McMillian, freed from death row in 1993, died September 11, 2013, at age 71. "[13][5] There was no physical evidence implicating McMillian. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. 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. No. After an investigation revealed that McMillians truck was converted to a low-rider six months after the crime took place, the eye-witnesses recanted their testimony and admitted to lying. Simplified. 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. Those six years on death row traumatized McMillian in many unthinkable ways. He had a large, tight-knit family and several children with his wife. Her . His days were spent twenty-three hours a day in a dark cell. In 1988, Walter McMillian, a Black man, was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death for . Walter McMillian was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a young white woman in Monroeville, Alabama. [9][Notes 5], In 1992 the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in McMillian v. State 594 So. Appellant, Walter McMillian, was jointly indicted with Ralph Myers, in a two-count indictment, on December 11, 1987, in Monroe County, for the capital offense of murder committed during a robbery in the first degree, in violation of 13A-5-40(a)(2), Code of Alabama 1975. . "[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. (334) 269-1803 2. 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. When McMillian reached adulthood, he noticed this trend and borrowed money to buy his own equipment; by the 1980s, he owned a modestly profitable pulpwood business. 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. "[10][11], On December 11, 1987, Walter McMillian and Ralph Bernard Myers, a career criminal,[13] were jointly indicted. .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. When you are poor and under sentence of death you worry about a lot of things. His conviction was wrong McMillian clearly recalled the moment the news got to them. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. 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. Home; . [5] In 1986 he had been married to Minnie McMillian for 25 years and they had nine children. The . He was subjected to graphic questions about the nature of his and Kellys relationship, and he left the courtroom feeling uneasy. Police were skeptical that Myers and McMillian were really accomplices, and so they conducted an experiment. The petition also alleged that the state of Alabama "had violated his constitutional rights by withholding exculpatory and impeachment information". 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. Aside from having a misdemeanor charge from a barroom fight, he had a clean record and no other charges to his name. He had a large, tight-knit family and several children with his wife Minnie, but, following an affair with a white woman, Walter was falsely accused and convicted of murdering a different white woman. The false testimonies claimed that they had seen McMillian near the cleaners the morning of the murder. In November 1992, he told CBS News 60 Minutes that Alabama was preparing to execute the wrong. His sole criminal record was a suspended sentence for a bar fight. Myers had pled guilty as a conspirator in the murder and received a 30-year prison term. Morrison, who was white, had been bludgeoned, strangled and shot three times. Plus, McMillian didnt fit the profile of a murderer: He had no prior felony convictions, just one misdemeanor for getting dragged into a bar fight years earlier. Today, more than 160 people who were on death row have been proved innocent and released. Morrison, who was white, had been bludgeoned, strangled and shot three times. McMillian filed a civil lawsuit against state and local officials, which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. McMillian and his wife, Minnie, met when when they were teenagers and married after she became pregnant in 1962. Walter McMillian with his family after his release from prison. No fingerprints, no fibers not a single piece of physical evidence connecting McMillian to the crime scene. The McMillian family: Walter McMillian had a family of believers. CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE Death, Life, and Justice in a Southern Town By Pete Earley Bantam. on our list, Other 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]. I lost my I lost my dignity.. . Husband of Libbie Wood. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I believe that needs to be discussed more, and I am glad you included how it had such a negative impact on McMillian and was traumatic. It was the last state in the U.S. to overturn laws banning interracial marriage but that wouldnt happen for another 14 years. He writes that Norton was uninterested in the subject of, career, but had become passionate about the work of EJI after interning one summer. 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. Equal Justice InitiativeWalter McMillian with his family after his release from prison. Stevenson presented the newfound evidence at hearings and appeals before the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Until his dying wish he did not receive justice for his wrongful conviction. Little did he know that the murder of Ronda Morrison would impact his life in a major way later on.2, On June 7, 1987 at around 11:00 a.m, McMillian was peacefully driving down Route 84. [3][12] McMillian was arrested in June 1987. Walter McMillian lived an ordinary life alongside his wife Minnie McMillian and their three children. October 10, 1995. / Walter McMillian (left) celebrates with family after Bryan Stevenson won his release from death row in 1993. Soon, he went from being a man who had an interracial affair to someone capable of murder. American wrongly convicted of murder (19412013), According to the 1993 appeal, Judge R.E.L. . 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. Myers heard popping sounds, and he found McMillian standing over the victim with a gun in his hand. 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. They tortured me with the promise of execution for six years. 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. Walter McMillian photographed outside of his home surrounded by family and friends. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Walter McMillian appears in, Stevenson explains that he will focus on the story of, general, Stevenson is amused. [6] McMillian's conviction and death sentence were affirmed on appeal in 1991 in McMillian v. State, 594 So. . memorial page for Albert Walter McMillian (13 Oct 1862-2 Oct 1948), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7915499, citing Oakland Cemetery, Saint Paul . His conviction was wrongfully obtained, based on police coercion and perjury. One of his friends said they were working on that same truck that morning; the transmission was out of it. Walter McMillian was nearly put to death for a crime he did not commit One of young lawyer Stevenson's first and most incendiary cases after founding the non-profit Equal Justice Initiative was. She supports and cares for her five children during Walter's incarceration. With few ordinary comforts in his life, the attention of women was something Walter did not easily resist.. 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. Mr. McMillian was released from death row as a free man in March 1993. 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. And thats how his affair with a white woman 18 years his junior became the talk of the town. A student organization of St. Marys University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines. Walter McMillians post-conviction ordeal is featured in the film. The shift largely benefited white landowners and left most blacks unemployed. 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. We encourage you to research and examine these . His trial lasted only a day and a half. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Early History of the McMillan family. He first encountered Walter while he was on death row (20). McMillian recalls his time there as a terrible experience. They convicted McMillian of first-degree murder. They had met as teenagers. 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. Grandfather. They had three children and lived in a dilapidated house in Repton, about 10 miles south of Monroeville. The man was Russell Charley. People were more concerned with convicting an innocent man of a murder he did not commit rather than finding the victims murderer. "[9] Myers confessed that "he knew nothing about the crime, that he was not present when the crime was committed, that he had been told what to say by certain law enforcement officers, and that he had testified falsely against McMillian because of pressure from the officers. They had an affair, and when Kellys husband found out, things took a turn. Judge Robert E. Lee Key overrode the jurys sentence of life imprisonment and sentenced Mr. McMillian to death by electrocution. The jury recommended a life in prison, but judge Robert E. Lee Key, Jr. overrode their recommendation and imposed the death penalty. Judge Key warns Stevenson not to take on the case of, death row inmates. Stevenson's uncle died in prison . After he had decided to take the appeal, he got a phone call from Judge Key discouraging Stevenson from taking the case. McMillian. He picked cotton with his family, went to the local colored school for a couple of years, and then went back to picking cotton at around age eight or nine. Grandmother . McMillian was accused of murdering an 18-year-old girl and was put on death row. Mr. McMillian at his familys home on the day of his release after six years on death row. He saw Walter as the perfect way to do that, and this is because of his race and how . "[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. Throughout the case, Stevenson battles political and legal maneuverings, as well as overt and institutional racism, all in the name of fighting for . This story was very sad to read, and unfortunately a clear reality in todays times with our criminal justice system in the United States. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration "[9] D.A. McMillian was shocked and absolutely saddened to hear about it. "[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. Within weeks, McMillian was transferred to a maximum-security state prison in Atmore, Alabama. I think everybody needs to understand what happened because what happened today could happen tomorrow if we dont learn some lessons from this, said Stevenson on the day McMillians charges were dismissed. Walter McMillian (Photo/Equal Justice Initiative). The nearly all-white jury convicted Mr. McMillian of capital murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment without parole. Find Walter Mcmillian's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading online directory for contact information. Equal Justice Initiative Walter McMillian with his family after his release from prison. He knew it, his family knew it, and his friends knew it. "[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. Mr. McMillian was sent back to his cell on death row, where he ultimately spent six years. McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. Walter is related to Jane Marie Price and Jaline Renae McMillan as well as 3 additional people. This was Alabama in 1986. According to Myers, reinstated in 1975, the majority of Alabama death row inmates have been black, although when, that the practice is occurring. About $35 was missing. He was then taken to the local jail where the charge was quickly dismissed. [9], Following his own trial and sentencing, Ralph Bernard Myers told McMillian's trial counsel that the testimony he gave "against McMillian was false. In 1992, Ed Bradley reported that the wrong man might have been sitting on Alabama's death row. He wasnt just enraged that his wife was cheating on him she was cheating on him with a black man. The smell of someone you know burning to death is the most painful and nauseating experience on this earth. This is the true story of Walter McMillian, the wrongfully convicted man behind the film Just Mercy. Their central case is that of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), an independent pulpwood worker and family man known to most as Johnny D. He . After six months, the police had a possible person of interest. [3] A journalist described him as a "black pulpwood worker". Financial TimesWalter McMillian (left) and Bryan Stevenson after McMillians conviction was overturned in 1993. McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. There are numerous examples of this shown throughout the book. Police could not solve the crime. 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. Seven months passed and every one of the polices leads went nowhere. They had three children and lived in a dilapidated house in Repton, about 10 miles south of Monroeville. But we keep fighting.. "[6] He was held there, pre-trial, for 15 months. A 60 Minutes segment and other national press coverage about his case led to other exonerations. Meanwhile, six witnesses testified in McMillians defense, saying he was hosting a fish fry at his house during the crime. An uncle of the murder victim, in fact, came by and told them she was killed, witnesses said. His conviction was wrongfully obtained, based on police coercion and perjury. [7][9] Myers pleaded guilty as a conspirator in the murder and received a 30-year prison term.[7]. [7][14], McMillian's "appellate lawyers discovered that prosecutors had withheld evidence and that the state's star witnesses had lied. His time spent in prison was torture not only to McMillian but to his family and friends as well. (including. We can embrace our humanness, which means embracing our broken natures and the compassion that remains our best hope for healing. 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 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. McMillan whose story is depicted in the movie "Just Mercy" premiering Christmas Day 2019 never got the happy ending he deserved after his release from prison in 1993. 416 pp. He was arrested by Monroe County Sheriff Tom Tate and eventually charged with capital murder. 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. 's office and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) had "pressured [Myers] into lying about Mr. This was adapted as an eponymous feature film, released in 2019. 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.. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Aside from having a misdemeanor charge from a barroom fight, he had a clean record and no other charges to his name. There was a new county sheriff, and people were whispering about his incompetence. [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. 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. [6] However, Chapman did not agree that there had been a "deliberate effort to frame Mr. He met Karen Kelly, who was 25 and unhappily married, at the Waffle House where he ate breakfast. It was the laughter of liberation. Walter was implicated in the murder of Ronda Morrison, which led to a rather unfair trial against him. Our death penalty system treats you better if youre rich and guilty than if youre poor and innocent. They have also lived in Winter Park, FL and Lake Mary, FL. 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. How famous was Albert Walter McMillian? There was a tragic murder of eighteen-year-old Ronda Morrison. 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. [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. 2d 1253 (Ala.Cr.

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