What happened to Bill Peterson Ada Oklahoma?
In 2008, Peterson retired after serving as district attorney of Pontotoc County for 28 years. The last time Peterson was mentioned in the Ada Times, it was in relation to his granddaughter's victory at an Oklahoma horse show.Dec 17, 2018
Did Ron Williamson have schizophrenia?
Williamson had once been a local hero as a baseball player in the US minor leagues, but a shoulder injury had ended his career and seen him return to his hometown at the age of 25. He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, severe depression and schizophrenia, and self-medicated with drugs and alcohol.Nov 26, 2018
Where is Glen Gore now?
In 2003, Gore was convicted of Carter's murder and sentenced to death, per The Oklahoman. The Ada News reported that he appealed this and was granted a new trial, but was convicted again in 2006. He's now serving life in prison without parole, according to Oklahoma inmate records.Dec 14, 2018
How long was Ron Williamson in jail?
The test results would prove once and for all that it was not Williamson at the scene, but instead Glen Dale Gore, the last person seen with Carter that night. In April 1999, after 11 years in prison, Williamson was finally set free.Dec 14, 2018
What happened to Fritz and Williamson?
In separate trials, both Fritz and then Williamson were found guilty in 1988. Williamson received a death sentence, while Fritz was sentenced to life without parole. The evidence included expert testimony in hair analysis, which is now regarded as unreliable.
Who was the woman who was raped by Ada Bar Williamson?
On December 8, 1982, Debbie "Debbie Sue" Carter, after visiting the Coachlight, an Ada bar Williamson frequently visited, was found raped and murdered. Williamson and friend Dennis Fritz were arrested five years later on flimsy testimony. In separate trials, both Fritz and then Williamson were found guilty in 1988. Williamson received a death sentence, while Fritz was sentenced to life without parole.
When were Fritz and Williamson freed?
After 11 years on death row, and following several appeals, Williamson and Fritz were cleared by DNA testing, and were finally freed on April 15, 1999 [4](Williamson was the 78th inmate exonerated from death row since 1973 as of November 29, 2010[5][6][7]). In 2003, they sued the City of Ada and won a settlement of $500,000; the State of Oklahoma also settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
Was Gore in jail for Fritz and Williamson?
While Williamson and Fritz were incarcerated, Gore was also imprisoned on another unrelated violent crime conviction. Once Williamson and Fritz had been cleared of murder, Gore eventually came to trial, based on the same DNA evidence that had cleared Fritz and Williamson.
Who wrote the Innocent Man?
Best-selling novelist John Grisham read Williamson's obituary in The New York Times and made him and Fritz the subject of his first non-fiction book, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, published in 2006. The book became a bestseller.
Who was the man who screamed "I'm innocent"?
After their sentencing, a confession by a man named Ricky Jo Simmons came to light. Having learned of this while on death row, Williamson became increasingly convinced that Simmons had committed the murder and repeatedly demanded his arrest. Simmons was never charged. On September 22, 1994, Williamson was only five days away from being executed when the execution was stayed by the court following a habeas corpuspetition. At the time, Williamson screamed "I'm innocent! I'm innocent! I'm innocent!" from his cell to protest his impending execution. [1][2][3]
Was Simmons ever charged?
Simmons was never charged. On September 22, 1994, Williamson was only five days away from being executed when the execution was stayed by the court following a habeas corpus petition. At the time, Williamson screamed "I'm innocent! I'm innocent!
Where did Ron Williamson grow up?
Ron Williamson grew up in Ada, Oklahoma, and was the youngest of three children and his parents’ only son. A talented baseball player, he was the 41st pick in baseball’s 1971 amateur draft. A shoulder injury ruined his career though, and Williamson returned home in the late 1970s.
How long did it take for Fritz and Williamson to be charged?
Investigation and Trial. Williamson and Fritz were not charged until five years after the murder (the charge was delayed by state exhumation of the victim after an incorrect analysis of fingerprints at the scene was noted).
What was the name of the book that John Grisham wrote about the case of Fritz and Williamson?
He was 51 years old. Williamson and Fritz’s case is the subject for John Grisham’s first nonfiction book, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, which was published in 2006 and was a bestseller. State: Oklahoma. Charge: Murder.
Did Fritz and Williamson file separate appeals?
After their convictions, Fritz and Williamson filed separate appeals. Upon the denial of his claim, Fritz contacted the Innocence Project and learned that Williamson’s lawyers were planning to test the physical evidence. The Innocence Project filed an injunction to make sure that the cases were joined with regard to DNA testing ...
How did Ron Williamson die?
after serving 12 years in prison for a murder that DNA proved he did not commit. Williamson died of cirrhosis of the liver five years after he was freed from prison.
Who was the photographer who used Williamson as a subject toward the end of his life?
A photographer named Taryn Simon, who used Williamson as a subject toward the end of his life, asked Williamson to summarize his final thoughts.
Was Ron Williamson released from prison?
And although Williamson's name was cleared and he was ultimately released from prison, he didn't have much time to enjoy his freedom.
When did Ron Williamson get exonerated?
After serving 11 years of his life sentence (and coming within five days of an execution, at one point), Williamson and Fritz were both released and exonerated of any wrongdoing in the Carter murder in April, 1999.
Who was the lead investigator in the Williamson case?
Little is known about why this happened, but after leaving his shared cell with Williamson Deatherage suggested to Gary Rogers, the lead investigator in the case, that they look into Williamson as a prime suspect.
What did Fritz and Williamson say about their freedom?
To The Daily Oklahoman in 1999, both Fritz and Williamson shared how they felt about their newfound freedom. Fritz suggested that he might go into the legal profession after spending so much time working on his own case, and Williamson said that he wasn’t bitter about what had happened. “I got to see the same town I grew up in, who initially convicted me, exonerate me,” he said. He further noted that the first thing the pair was going to do was go to Disney World, “then we’re going on an ocean cruise vacation and let our hair down.”
Why did Fritz and Williamson go to court?
Ultimately, Fritz and Williamson both went to court as a result of information given to investigators by informants, per The Innocence Project. For Fritz, an inmate who was paired with Fritz said that Fritz had confessed to the murder; this alleged confession came a day before prosecutors were going to have to release him. As for Williamson, an informant claimed that Williamson had told her he was going to hurt her the way he hurt Carter; additionally, police said Williamson had spoken to them about having a dream of committing the crime.
When did Peggy Sanders get back with the Williamson family?
In May, 2008, just under a decade after Fritz and Williamson were exonerated, Peggy Sanders was reunited with the Williamson family (Williamson himself was dead at the time), Grisham, and Fritz himself, in the name of a benefit gala for the Innocent Project.
Where did Keith Williamson die?
Grisham noted how exceptionally interesting the first paragraph of the obituary for Williamson: “Ronald Keith Williamson, who left his small town in Oklahoma as a high school baseball star with hopes of a major league career but was later sent to death row and came within five days of execution for a murder he did not commit, died on Saturday at a nursing home near Tulsa. He was 51.”
Did Ron Williamson yell at Fritz?
An archived article from The Oklahoman in 1988 even notes that Williamson yelled at Fritz and called him a snitch at one point. Williamson was sent to death row. Fritz received life in prison. 3. Williamson Was Exonerated in 1999; He Died in 2004 of Cirrhosis of the Liver. Ron Williamson’s yearbook photo.
Why did Fritz file an injunction against Ron Williamson?
Fritz filed an injunction to make sure that the evidence would not be totally consumed until the cases were joined with regard to DNA testing.
When did the Williamson case get a new trial?
In 1995. a federal judge granted the petition and ordered a new trial. The judge held that the prosecution had failed to disclose a 1983 videotape of Williamson making exculpatory statements after taking a polygraph examination as well as a tape of another suspect admitting he committed the crime.
What did the police say about Fritz and Williamson?
Although seconds later, the officers said Williamson said, "I would never confess" and asked for a lawyer, that statement was treated by the prosecution as a confession. Forensic testing was performed on various items of evidence. Seventeen hairs were recovered and were “matched” to both Fritz and Williamson.
How long were Fritz and Williams in jail?
The two had been wrongfully incarcerated, respectively, for eleven years. Fritz and Williams later filed a lawsuit and each received $500,000 from the City of Ada. The State of Oklahoma settled with each man for an undisclosed amount. Five years after his release, Williamson was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver.
When did Peterson's libel suit get dismissed?
In 2010, the libel suit was dismissed again in a federal appeals court, according to the Ada News, and Peterson said he was unlikely to pursue it further. He doesn't appear to have taken any action since.
When did the innocent man retire?
He also seems to be leading a relatively private life these days: according to the Ada News, he retired in 2008. "It is something I've been thinking about for a while and came to the conclusion that it is time," he told the outlet at the time. "I am 64 years old and came to the realization it's time to go to another phase in my life."
Did Peterson take part in a libel lawsuit?
Ultimately, though, he told Ada News it wasn’t a deciding factor. As reported by the Oklahoman, Peterson actually took part in a libel lawsuit against Grisham and other authors who wrote about his involvement in Williamson and Fritz's convictions. The case was tossed out in 2008.
Overview
Ronald Keith Williamson (February 3, 1953 – December 4, 2004) was a former minor league baseball catcher/pitcher who was one of two men wrongly convicted in 1988 in Oklahoma for the rape and murder of Debra Sue "Debbie" Carter. His friend Dennis Fritz was sentenced to life imprisonment, while Williamson was sentenced to death. Both were released 11 years later when DNA evidence proved their innocence. Their story became the subject of bestselling author John …
Early life
Born and raised in Ada, Oklahoma, Williamson was the youngest of three children and the only son. He was a standout athlete even when very young and excelled in several sports, although his primary interest was baseball. He played baseball at Asher High School, because his parents moved there so that he could play under the school's legendary coach, Murl Bowen. After hitting .500 in the state championships his senior year, he was the 41st pick in baseball's 1971 amateu…
Arrest and conviction
On December 8, 1982, Debbie "Debbie Sue" Carter, after visiting the Coachlight, an Ada bar Williamson frequently visited, was found raped and murdered. Williamson and friend Dennis Fritz were arrested five years later on flimsy testimony. In separate trials, both Fritz and then Williamson were found guilty in 1988. Williamson received a death sentence, while Fritz was sentenced to life without parole.
Exoneration
After 11 years on death row, and following several appeals, Williamson and Fritz were cleared by DNA testing, and were finally freed on April 15, 1999 (Williamson was the 78th inmate exonerated from death row since 1973 as of November 29, 2010 ). In 2003, they sued the City of Ada and won a settlement of $500,000; the State of Oklahoma also settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
Death
Williamson died in a nursing home of cirrhosis five years later. Although he had a history of illicit drug and alcohol abuse, Thorazine and other potent psychotropic prescription drugs may have precipitated the cirrhosis. Best-selling novelist John Grisham read Williamson's obituary in The New York Times and made him and Fritz the subject of his first non-fiction book, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, published in 2006. The book became a bestseller.
Real killer
Glen D. Gore (born 27 April 1960), an Ada man who had testified against both Williamson and Fritz, was ultimately convicted of the murder of Debbie Carter. He was the last person seen with Carter, and also had been seen arguing with her on the night of her death. Although he was interviewed by the police he was not fingerprinted, nor did he give saliva and hair samples. While Williamson and Fritz were incarcerated, Gore was also imprisoned on another unrelated violent c…
See also
• List of wrongful convictions in the United States
External links
• Ron Williamson, PBS Frontline
• Baseball-Reference.com Bullpen article
• Glen Gore, Oklahoma Department of Corrections Offender Lookup
Crime
Trial
- Investigation and Trial Williamson and Fritz were not charged until five years after the murder (the charge was delayed by state exhumation of the victim after an incorrect analysis of fingerprints at the scene was noted). An inmate that Fritz was paired with eventually came forward and stated that Fritz had confessed to the murder. This confession came one day before the prosecution w…
Investigation
- Forensic testing was performed on various items of evidence. Seventeen hairs were recovered and were matched to both Fritz and Williamson, though we now know that this type of hair analysis is not a validated forensic science practice. Furthermore, the semen evidence found at the crime scene was subjected to blood testing, and the results suggested that the perpetrator(s…
Aftermath
- Williamson and Fritz were released and exonerated in April 1999, after spending 11 years in prison for a crime they did not commit. Williamson had, at one point, come within five days of execution.
Background
- Soon after their release, Williamson and Fritz visited New York, where they took a tour of Yankee Stadium. Williamson said he just got a taste of how much fun they were having up here. Williamson and Fritz filed a civil lawsuit against the Pontotoc County district attorney and others, which was settled for an undisclosed amount of money.
Death
- Sadly, on December 4, 2004, Williamson died in an Oklahoma nursing home, surrounded by his family. He had recently been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. He was 51 years old.
In popular culture
- Williamson and Fritzs case is the subject for John Grishams first nonfiction book, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, which was published in 2006 and was a bestseller.
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