Category Archives: African American

Death Penalty Losing its Grip

Last week brought wonderful news for death penalty opponents – according to a Pew Research survey, fewer than half of Americans now favor using the death penalty!  Overall support for capital punishment has plummeted in the last 18 months, from 56% … Continue reading

Posted in African American, capital punishmant, criminal justice, death penalty, Fly Manning, Mississippi, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Premeditated Attempted Murder

Willie Manning’s prosecutor, Forrest Allgood, was implicated by a recanting witness (Kevin Lucious) in Willie’s 1993 case: “Luscious said District Attorney Forrest Allgood… told Luscious that he would not charge him with capital murder if he cooperated.” And in Willie’s … Continue reading

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A Two-person Crime

A radio blog* recorded the day before Willie Jerome Manning’s scheduled execution in May, 2013, features Vincent Hill, a private investigator and former policeman. Hill re-examined the evidence in Willie’s 1992 case, and found many omissions and inconsistencies. Here David Skato, … Continue reading

Posted in African American, America, capital punishmant, criminal justice, death peanlty, DNA testing, innocence, miscarriages of justice, Mississippi, Starkville, USA, Willie Jerome Manning, Willie Manning, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Willie wouldn’t bust a grape.”

Today Willie Jerome Manning is 48. This is his 23rd birthday on death row. When Willie was a child there was little money to celebrate birthdays. A childhood friend of his family, David Skato, recalls the ‘poverty stricken’ community where they … Continue reading

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Why was there no Blood?

A radio blog recorded on the eve of Willie Jerome Manning’s scheduled execution in May, 2013, is illuminating: a private investigator and former policeman re-examines the evidence in Willie’s 1992 case, finding many omissions and inconsistencies.* The investigator on the … Continue reading

Posted in African American, capital punishmant, criminal justice, death penalty, Fly Manning, law enforcement, miscarriages of justice, Mississippi, police, USA, Willie Jerome Manning Mississippi Death Row, Willie Manning, witness testimony, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Allgood’s Departure: Good News!

Another year has passed: today it is exactly twenty-one years since Willie Manning first entered death row. This year has been a significant one for Willie. In April charges for his 1993 case were dropped, effectively exonerating him in that … Continue reading

Posted in African American, capital punishment, death penalty, Death Row, Forrest Allgood, Mississippi, prosecutor misconduct, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Many Positives

Willie Jerome Manning was permitted to seek DNA and fingerprint testing over two years ago, but still there is no news of the final results. Long waits are normal on death row, but this one must be particularly challenging: Willie … Continue reading

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Willie’s DNA Profile Requested

Today it is exactly two years – 730 long days – since a mandate from the Mississippi Supreme Court allowed Willie Manning to pursue his request for DNA testing and fingerprint comparison. For Willie the two years must have seemed interminable. … Continue reading

Posted in African American, capital punishment, death penalty, Death Row, DNA profiling, DNA testing, Fly Manning, Mississippi, torture, USA, Willie Jerome Manning, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hope in the Midst of Despair

Imagine being on death row for 20 years, convicted of crimes of which you are innocent. Your juries believed the prosecutors, and during the appeals process your innocence becomes irrelevant (appeals focus only on whether correct procedures have been followed). … Continue reading

Posted in African American, capital punishment, death penalty, Death Row, Fly Manning, Innocent, Mississippi State Penitentiary Parchman, prison conditions, Willie Jerome Manning, Willie Manning, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

DNA Testing: Semen Found

The results of preliminary DNA testing in Willie Manning’s Steckler-Miller case were made public yesterday. The results, given in a letter from a Senior Forensic DNA Analyst at the Cellmark Forensics Dallas Lab, are as follows: Rape kit Three swabs were tested … Continue reading

Posted in African American, capital punishmant, death penalty, Death Row, Fly Manning, forensic testing, Mississippi, USA, Willie Manning, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment