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Texas posthumously exonerates Tommy Lee Walker, executed 70 years prior for rape and murder of White woman

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Texas posthumously exonerates Tommy Lee Walker, executed 70 years prior for rape and murder of White woman

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Nearly 70 years after the state of Texas put him to death, Dallas County officials formally exonerated Tommy Lee Walker, a 21-year-old Black man executed two years after being wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a White woman.

Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot on Wednesday asked commissioners to sign a resolution acknowledging Walker’s innocence after finding he was coerced into a confession and convicted by an all-White jury.

The case, the oldest assigned to the Dallas County DA’s Conviction Integrity Unit, involved Walker, a 19-year-old accused of raping and murdering Venice Parker, a 31-year-old White woman, on her way home from work in 1953.

On the night of the killing, Walker was visiting his girlfriend, Mary Louise Smith, who was nine months preg­nant, according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPI).

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Tommy Lee Walker during a trial in which he was convicted of killing a woman in 1954. (Dallas Public Library)

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Though witnesses confirmed he was with Smith, he was prosecuted for the murder, which happened 3 miles across town, FOX 4 Dallas reported.

Walker’s son was born the day after the killing on Oct. 1.

Multiple witnesses testified Parker was unable to speak after the attack due to a gash in her neck. However, one police officer claimed she described her attacker as a Black man, according to the DPI.

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Tommy Lee Walker was exonerated after his execution after being convicted of killing a woman in 1954. (Dallas Public Library)

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During a review of the case, the district attorney’s office learned hundreds of Black men were questioned about the killing, solely based on their race.

Walker was allegedly interrogated for hours with­out an attor­ney, and authorities told him he would face the death penal­ty unless he con­fessed, according to the DPI. 

Walker signed a con­fes­sion but almost imme­di­ate­ly recant­ed. There was no oth­er evidence against him. 

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Officials also said the state allowed misleading evidence during the trial, and the prosecutor took the stand himself as a witness and told the jury Walker was guilty, according to FOX 4.

“I feel that I have been tricked out of my life,” Walker said at his sen­tenc­ing hear­ing.

Walker was executed by an electric chair May 12, 1956, at 21 years old.

Tommy Lee Walker takes the stand during his murder trial. (Dallas Public Library)

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“In observance of the constitutional rights afforded to all citizens and in consideration of newly available scientific evidence, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office could not and would not have prosecuted Tommy Lee Walker for the rape and murder of Venice Lorraine Parker,” Creuzot wrote in a statement.

Creuzot said his office dove into the case with assistance from the Innocence Project after Walker’s son, his only living descendant, brought it to their attention.

Walker’s son, Ted Smith, 72, gave testimony at his father’s posthumous exoneration, noting his moth­er nev­er recov­ered after the exe­cu­tion.

“He told my mother and she told me. He said, ‘You give me the chair that belongs to someone else. I am innocent.’ That is the last thing my mother told me,” Ted Smith told FOX 4. “This exoneration means the world to me.”

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The resolution stated the county “deems it a moral oblig­a­tion to acknowl­edge the injus­tice sur­round­ing the con­vic­tion of Tommy Lee Walker, con­front his­to­ry, and affirm Dallas County’s com­mit­ment to jus­tice for all per­sons, whether liv­ing or deceased. … [J]ustice has no statute of limitations.”

Parker’s son, Joseph Parker, 77, also attended the hearing, hugging Smith and apologizing for the loss of his father.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Man stabbed to death after violent dog attack on Hollywood Walk of Fame

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Man stabbed to death after violent dog attack on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Loved ones are devastated after a 37-year-old man was attacked by a dog and stabbed to death by several men on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The unprovoked attack happened on May 20 as Berry Henderson, 37, was standing at a bus stop near Hollywood Boulevard and Las Palmas Avenue around 3 p.m.

Surveillance video showed Henderson running into the street as a dog was seen chasing him and aggressively biting him. 

Henderson managed to pull out a knife and stabbed the dog to defend himself. That’s when a group of four men, one of whom was the dog’s owner, rushed over to attack Henderson. A suspect who was armed with a machete was seen stabbing and punching Henderson.

  • A group of four men stabbed and punched Barry Henderson after he stabbed the attacking dog in defense on May 20, 2026. (Henderson Family)
  • Berry Henderson, 37, tried to escape the area from his attackers who quickly cornered him again on May 20, 2026. (Henderson Family)
  • Loved ones held a candelight vigil at the crime scene on the Hollywood Walk Fame to honor Berry Henderson on May 29, 2026. (KTLA)
  • Berry Henderson, 37, is seen in a family photo.
  • Berry Henderson, 37, is seen in a family photo.
  • The victim's cousin, Demeya Brewer, speaks with KTLA at a candlelight vigil in Hollywood on May 29, 2026. (KTLA)
  • Surveillance video showed Berry Henderson, 37, running into the street as a violent dog was seen chasing him and aggressively biting him near Hollywood Boulevard and Las Palmas Avenue in Hollywood on May 20, 2026. (Henderson Family)

The victim’s cousin, Sharon Grimes, said she was stunned that no bystanders acted to help Henderson.

“People around weren’t doing anything,” she said. “I didn’t see anybody try to come to his rescue, with all that blood. Nobody picked up the phone.”

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“That’s what makes it so shocking,” said Najee Ali, a community activist. “That someone could actually be stabbed to death, beaten and bit by a dog in broad daylight with no one helping.”

Henderson, who was critically injured, stumbled across the street while trying to escape the attackers, but the men quickly came after him again.

“He was running away,” said Demeya Brewer, the victim’s cousin. “He was down on the ground, running away and they still continued to attack him.”

Henderson, who had suffered multiple stab wounds, died from his injuries at the hospital. 

Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the scene and were able to locate and arrest three suspects. The fourth male suspect managed to escape.

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On Friday night, Henderson’s family gathered at the scene for a candlelight vigil to honor Henderson, who was a student at a local trade school. Family members said he was a peaceful man who was loved by his friends and community.

“My cousin was not a threat to anyone,” Brewer said. “This was his area, his neighborhood. Business owners knew him. We need more love and peace.”

Henderson’s family believes there are witnesses who likely know where the fourth suspect is hiding. They’re asking anyone with information on the case to call the LAPD at 213-382-9470.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Man arrested for multiple Los Angeles freeway shootings: CHP

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Man arrested for multiple Los Angeles freeway shootings: CHP

A man suspected of repeatedly shooting at other vehicles while driving on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles County was arrested on May 29, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP pulled over the suspected shooter, Martin Moreno-Pacheco, in South Los Angeles at about 3:40 a.m. Friday. Prior to his arrest, CHP officers suspected that Moreno-Pacheco was connected to multiple freeway shootings in recent days.

On May 26, a driver reported a car-to-car shooting, which they said happened on the 405 Freeway near Wilmington Avenue on May 23. The victim told investigators that the person responsible for the shooting was driving a black pickup truck.

“The victim reported an unprovoked shooting occurred, resulting in damage to the victim’s vehicle,” CHP said.

The 405 Freeway near Wilmington Avenue in Los Angeles. (Google Street View)

On May 28, at about 5:30 a.m., another car-to-car shooting was reported on the 405 Freeway south of Vermont Avenue. The victim told investigators that their car was damaged in a shooting committed by someone in a black pickup.

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“Based on the investigation conducted, both incidents, as well as a third incident, which occurred on May 22, 2026, were determined to be committed by the same individual,” CHP said.

Moreno-Pacheco was found and arrested a week later. Upon searching Moreno-Pacheco’s truck, CHP officers found a loaded BB gun inside the truck’s passenger compartment.

No one was injured in the shootings, CHP said. CHP is asking any additional witnesses or victims of the alleged crimes to contact Officer C. Ortega at the CHP South Los Angeles Area office at (424) 551-4000.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Rescued sea lion pups released in Manhattan Beach

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Rescued sea lion pups released in Manhattan Beach

Three rescued California sea lion pups were released back into the Pacific Ocean in Manhattan Beach Friday morning after weeks of rehabilitation for malnutrition, dehydration and other health issues. The public release event took place on the north side of the Manhattan Beach Pier and was hosted by the Marine Mammal Care Center, Los Angeles […]

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