To our community,
Yesterday was a day of torment and a day of hope.
In Missouri, far from our work in New England but close to our hearts that long for justice, Marcellus Williams, a client of the Midwest Innocence Project, was murdered by execution. There were serious questions about the reliability and integrity of that conviction, so much so that the prosecutors and victim’s family also opposed his execution and attempted to spare his life. Despite the millions of people who spoke out urgently against this execution, the Attorney General, trial court, Governor, Missouri Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court all ensured that the death penalty would be carried out against Mr. Williams.
We stand firmly against the death penalty. With wrongful convictions being overturned every day, demonstrating how easy it is for us to get it wrong, the death penalty should never be an option. There’s no public safety benefit to pretending that an irreversibly punitive system is flawless and serves justice.
Massachusetts also used to have the death penalty. Many people believed then – as they do now – that there were enough safeguards in our system to prevent an innocent person from being wrongfully convicted and executed. Many people thought then – as they do now – that it is easy to tell if someone is innocent or guilty simply by believing the narrative told by the media or officials who all too often rely on mistaken eyewitnesses, incentivized witnesses, flawed forensics, false confessions, and racial bias. Unfortunately, these are just myths. A clear example of this is when our client, Gary Cifizzari, was convicted and sentenced for murder, the judge was so certain of his guilt that he lamented not being able to impose the death penalty. But that judge was wrong. Gary Cifizzari was innocent and was finally exonerated after 35 years in prison.
We know all too well that even cases that appear to have powerful evidence of guilt can fall apart when that evidence is tested. In fact, as we waited to hear whether our worst fears would be realized in Missouri, we were here in Massachusetts fighting to overturn another wrongful conviction, that of our client Edward Wright, based on new DNA evidence and evidence that was wrongfully withheld by the government.
After 40 years in prison and five previous attempts to overturn his wrongful conviction, Edward Wright was back in court yesterday with hope. It was a packed courtroom, with loved ones, Exoneree Network members, advocates, and our incredible legal team that includes attorneys from Skadden and Quinn Emanuel. I and my co-counsel, Stephanie Hartung, were honored to argue the case in court. We don’t know what will happen next, but we cannot stop fighting for justice for our community, even with tragedies, setbacks, resistance, and all the myths that permeate our criminal legal system.
Every case is a fight, and we must all bear witness to both the devastation of the losses we endure and the joy of freedom and community when we prevail. This work holds the possibility of something better for individuals, families, communities, and truly, for all of us. With so many innocent people still in prison, we cannot possibly give up hope. And we won’t.
In grief and solidarity,
Radha Natarajan
Executive Director
New England Innocence Project
