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The Innocent Man: Murder & Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham.
Ron Williamson was a deadbeat. He was useless. A drain on the system. An alcoholic, and a petty criminal. But, he wasn't a murderer.
Williamson and Dennis Fritz were convicted of murdering Debra Sue Carter in 1988. Williamson was given the death penalty, and Fritz faced life in prison. Of the two, Grisham chose to focus his book on Williamson -- a local baseball hero turned mentally disturbed small-town criminal. Though, I found the story of Fritz more compelling (Fritz's wife was murdered several years before he was accused of killing Carter, and the killer was never captured), in hindsight, I understand why Grisham chose Williamson.
Williamson was everything a jury could possibly dislike about a defendant. He was a burden on his family. A burden on his town. A burden on what few friends he was able to make and keep. He was loud, obnoxious, and irritating. Mentally disturbed and lacking treatment for a majority of his life - both in and out of prison. (Note: The book is also an interesting study on the problems with the mental health care system in the United States.) His behavior was awful, and at times, it was almost impossible to sympathize with him while reading the book.
He's exactly the kind of person an individual sees and thinks, "Why isn't he in prison."
But, even the town drunk deserves a fair shake. Even the town deadbeat deserves justice. Even someone you hate, loathe, and despise, doesn't deserve the death penalty for a crime he did not commit. And, in between the shock and horror you feel when reading about how badly the police and DA botched the investigation, how disturbing it is that one could be sentenced to life in prison and death on such flimsy and circumstantial evidence, that's the message Grisham is sending.
The book starts out as a very slow read. I'm a very fast reader, and I found myself having to trudge through about the first half of it. The trial and the rendition of the evidence begins about halfway through the book, and that's when the pace really picks up. I zoomed through the second half of the book in one sitting.
The lack of evidence against Williamson will appall you, particularly when you consider the fact that he was sentenced to die for his "crime." The lack of evidence against Dennis Fritz was even more grotesque.
Throughout the book, Grisham makes no attempt to hide his bias. Then again, I think anyone that wasn't involved in the initial investigation would be biased against how it was conducted. The details paint a horrific picture - no embellishment is needed or necessary. And it shows just how wrong the justice system can be when the individuals charged with finding justice are more interested in obtaining a conviction of the person they deem guilty, despite everything the evidence is telling them.
The second half of the book details Williamson's and Fritz's life in prison, their appeals, and eventually, the involvement of The Innocence Project. [Full Disclosure: I'm actually working at an actual innocence clinic in the Innocence Network.]
And, it closes with details about Williamson's & Fritz's life after prison and exoneration.
Local reaction to the DNA exoneration seems to range from embarrassment, anger (at Grisham), disbelief, a continuing belief - despite DNA evidence - that Williamson and Fritz were guilty, sadness, and outrage.
If you are interested in the reaction of the locals to the book, you can find some at the Link 1; Link 2; Link 3 (I assume that the dead man who "killed himself" is Ron Williamson); Link 4; Link 5; Link 6; Link 7; Link 8; Link 9; Link 10; Link 11; Link 12; Link 13.
Overall, Grisham did a bang-up job telling Williamson's story. And, despite the early pacing problem, this is definitely a book that everyone should read: "If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you." The book jacket fulfilled its promises.
If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you.
Ron Williamson was a deadbeat. He was useless. A drain on the system. An alcoholic, and a petty criminal. But, he wasn't a murderer.
Williamson and Dennis Fritz were convicted of murdering Debra Sue Carter in 1988. Williamson was given the death penalty, and Fritz faced life in prison. Of the two, Grisham chose to focus his book on Williamson -- a local baseball hero turned mentally disturbed small-town criminal. Though, I found the story of Fritz more compelling (Fritz's wife was murdered several years before he was accused of killing Carter, and the killer was never captured), in hindsight, I understand why Grisham chose Williamson.
Williamson was everything a jury could possibly dislike about a defendant. He was a burden on his family. A burden on his town. A burden on what few friends he was able to make and keep. He was loud, obnoxious, and irritating. Mentally disturbed and lacking treatment for a majority of his life - both in and out of prison. (Note: The book is also an interesting study on the problems with the mental health care system in the United States.) His behavior was awful, and at times, it was almost impossible to sympathize with him while reading the book.
He's exactly the kind of person an individual sees and thinks, "Why isn't he in prison."
But, even the town drunk deserves a fair shake. Even the town deadbeat deserves justice. Even someone you hate, loathe, and despise, doesn't deserve the death penalty for a crime he did not commit. And, in between the shock and horror you feel when reading about how badly the police and DA botched the investigation, how disturbing it is that one could be sentenced to life in prison and death on such flimsy and circumstantial evidence, that's the message Grisham is sending.
The book starts out as a very slow read. I'm a very fast reader, and I found myself having to trudge through about the first half of it. The trial and the rendition of the evidence begins about halfway through the book, and that's when the pace really picks up. I zoomed through the second half of the book in one sitting.
The lack of evidence against Williamson will appall you, particularly when you consider the fact that he was sentenced to die for his "crime." The lack of evidence against Dennis Fritz was even more grotesque.
Throughout the book, Grisham makes no attempt to hide his bias. Then again, I think anyone that wasn't involved in the initial investigation would be biased against how it was conducted. The details paint a horrific picture - no embellishment is needed or necessary. And it shows just how wrong the justice system can be when the individuals charged with finding justice are more interested in obtaining a conviction of the person they deem guilty, despite everything the evidence is telling them.
The second half of the book details Williamson's and Fritz's life in prison, their appeals, and eventually, the involvement of The Innocence Project. [Full Disclosure: I'm actually working at an actual innocence clinic in the Innocence Network.]
And, it closes with details about Williamson's & Fritz's life after prison and exoneration.
Local reaction to the DNA exoneration seems to range from embarrassment, anger (at Grisham), disbelief, a continuing belief - despite DNA evidence - that Williamson and Fritz were guilty, sadness, and outrage.
If you are interested in the reaction of the locals to the book, you can find some at the Link 1; Link 2; Link 3 (I assume that the dead man who "killed himself" is Ron Williamson); Link 4; Link 5; Link 6; Link 7; Link 8; Link 9; Link 10; Link 11; Link 12; Link 13.
Overall, Grisham did a bang-up job telling Williamson's story. And, despite the early pacing problem, this is definitely a book that everyone should read: "If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you." The book jacket fulfilled its promises.