Georgia
Georgia man wrongfully convicted of murder finally cleared after 73 years
Choose formally dismisses costs in opposition to Clarence Henderson
Clarence Henderson’s title has lastly been cleared after 73 years. He was wrongfully convicted three time of homicide, every time by an all-white jury. Henderson, who’s Black, had every conviction overturned by the Supreme Court docket of Georgia. His household says they’re grateful this shadow now not looms over their household. The person who killed Carl “Buddy” Stevens nonetheless stays a thriller.
ATLANTA – It took 73 years, however now the title of a person wrongfully convicted of homicide is lastly cleared. A Carroll County choose Thursday formally dismissed the costs in opposition to Clarence Henderson.
All-white juries convicted Henderson, a Black man, thrice for killing a white man many years in the past. The Supreme Court docket of Georgia overturned the case every time as a result of lack of proof.
Choose Erica Tisinger formally dismissed the costs in opposition to Henderson in the identical courtroom the place these three juries discovered him responsible of murdering Carl “Buddy” Stevens in 1948.
Henderson was a Black sharecropper. Stevens was a white Military veteran killed whereas defending his girlfriend from a person she stated was attempting to rape her.
Henderson died years in the past, however the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Legal professional’s Workplace reserved the fitting to retry the case. That specter loomed over Henderson’s household for many years, till now. Choose Tisinger granted the district legal professional’s movement to dismiss these costs.
“Clearly, the fitting factor to do was to what we did right here immediately,” stated Jep Endanger, Chief Assistant District Legal professional with the Coweta Judicial Circuit, which covers Carroll County. “He’s and stays an harmless man.”
Man wrongfully convicted of homicide cleared after 73 years
Clarence Henderson’s title has lastly been cleared after 73 years. He was wrongfully convicted three time of homicide, every time by an all-white jury. Henderson, who’s Black, had every conviction overturned by the Supreme Court docket of Georgia. His household says they’re grateful this shadow now not looms over their household. The person who killed Carl “Buddy” Stevens nonetheless stays a thriller.
The descendants of Henderson and Stevens hugged after the choose’s ruling.
“I’m elated as a result of it was one thing that was at all times in our household historical past, and it’s like lastly, thanks,” stated Melody Darden, Henderson’s granddaughter.
“We take some solace in seeing the system do the fitting factor,” stated Michael Holmes, Stevens’s second cousin.
The query of who killed Stevens stays a thriller, however Holmes stated no less than Henderson’s household acquired some measure of justice.
“It might’ve been an injustice for the costs in opposition to Mr. Henderson to stay open,” Holmes stated.
Henderson spent 5 years behind bars. His household fought for years to clear his title, however now justice arrives many years later together with his case dismissed.