African American Teen Cleared of Murder 70 Years After He Was Executed
George Stinney became the youngest person executed in the United States when he was electrocuted in 1944
Thu Dec 18, 2014 1:49PM GMT
presstv.ir
More than 70 years after a 14-year-old African American boy was executed by the electric chair in South Carolina, a judge threw out his murder conviction.
George Stinney was found guilty in 1944 of killing two white girls, in a one-day trial before an all-white jury.
Stinney was subsequently electrocuted in the same year, becoming the youngest person executed in the United States in the 20th century. The 95-pound boy was so small he had to sit on a book when he was strapped to the electric chair.
The only evidence against the boy was a confession he allegedly made to police officers after hours of questioning, away from his parents and without a lawyer.
Stinney’s parents had been threatened that they would be lynched if they remained in the segregated mill town of Acolu, where their son was arrested.
The girls, 11-year-old Betty June Binnicker and 7-year-old Mary Emma Thames, disappeared on March 23, 1944, when they went for a bike ride together in search of flowers. The girls’ bodies were found the following morning behind a church, badly beaten with their skulls crushed in.
Stinney was arrested after witnesses said they saw him picking flowers with the girls.
On Wednesday, Circuit Judge Carmen Mullen found "fundamental, constitutional violations of due process" in Stinney's speedy trial.
"Given the particularized circumstances of Stinney's case, I find by a preponderance of the evidence standard, that a violation of the defendant's procedural due process rights tainted his prosecution," Mullen said.
The ruling gave relief to Stinney's brother, sisters and civil rights activists, who have been trying to reopen the case for years.
 |
| George Stinney, Jr., 14, entering death chamber in South Carolina in 1944. The state legislature recently vacated his unjust conviction and death sentence. |
Thu Dec 18, 2014 1:49PM GMT
presstv.ir
More than 70 years after a 14-year-old African American boy was executed by the electric chair in South Carolina, a judge threw out his murder conviction.
George Stinney was found guilty in 1944 of killing two white girls, in a one-day trial before an all-white jury.
Stinney was subsequently electrocuted in the same year, becoming the youngest person executed in the United States in the 20th century. The 95-pound boy was so small he had to sit on a book when he was strapped to the electric chair.
The only evidence against the boy was a confession he allegedly made to police officers after hours of questioning, away from his parents and without a lawyer.
Stinney’s parents had been threatened that they would be lynched if they remained in the segregated mill town of Acolu, where their son was arrested.
The girls, 11-year-old Betty June Binnicker and 7-year-old Mary Emma Thames, disappeared on March 23, 1944, when they went for a bike ride together in search of flowers. The girls’ bodies were found the following morning behind a church, badly beaten with their skulls crushed in.
Stinney was arrested after witnesses said they saw him picking flowers with the girls.
On Wednesday, Circuit Judge Carmen Mullen found "fundamental, constitutional violations of due process" in Stinney's speedy trial.
"Given the particularized circumstances of Stinney's case, I find by a preponderance of the evidence standard, that a violation of the defendant's procedural due process rights tainted his prosecution," Mullen said.
The ruling gave relief to Stinney's brother, sisters and civil rights activists, who have been trying to reopen the case for years.
No comments:
Post a Comment