Before you check out jamie foxx in the new film just mercy, learn the true story of walter mcmillian, an alabama man wrongfully convicted for. The true story of walter mcmillan s wrongful murder conviction and bryan stevenson delivering him from death row. Just mercy movie tiein edition by bryan stevenson teachers. According to pete earleys book circumstantial evidence. Jordan and jamie foxx star in just mercy, walter mcmillian, a wrongfully convicted man whose story serves as a reminder of the. Just mercy takes us inside americas broken criminal justice system and compels us to confront inequality and injustice based on the bestselling book, the just mercy movie presents the unforgettable story of bryan stevenson michael b.
Walter mcmillian was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. Mcmillan whose story is depicted in the movie just mercy premiering christmas day 2019 never got the happy ending he deserved after his release from prison in 1993. Death, life, and justice in a southern town, tate reportedly replied, i dont give a. A story of justice and redemption paperback august 18, 2015. Excerpt from just mercy penguin random house canada. The heart of this book is the story of walter mcmillian of monroe county, alabama. Just mercy, the new film about crusading attorney bryan stevenson played by michael b.
In just mercy, attorney and author bryan stevenson uses the case of walter mcmillan to expose racial injustice and corruption in the american legal system and highlight the need for reform. Sign me up to get more news about nonfiction books. The character of walter mcmillian in just mercy from. To understand the criminal justice system in america, its bias against africanamerican men and the death penalty, it is important to understand the stories of both mcmillan and stevenson. We consulted both of those books, contemporary news reports, and court documents to sort. Just mercy s mcmillian corresponds pretty closely to the man depicted in both the 60 minutes segment and stevensons memoir, but its perhaps worth noting that earleys book is a little. We used both books to investigate the just mercy true story. When i was writing the book, it was just going to be one of maybe 20 or so cases that i talked about at length, but there was so much richness in the walter mcmillan case. Mcmillians story is one of the most wellknown cases of wrongful conviction, one that is being retold in the upcoming drama, just mercy, starring jamie foxx and michael b. Id met walter mcmillian two weeks earlier, after spending a day on death row to begin work on five capital cases. Just mercy and the heartbreaking true story of walter mcmillian. Learn more about walter mcmillian by reading just mercy. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. According to bryan stevensons book just mercy, the witnesses who placed walter mcmillian at the fish fry at the exact time of the murder included a police.
Just mercy, starring jamie foxx as walter and also sometimes called johnnie d by his friends and family, is based off the memoir written by stevenson, played by. In 1986, stevenson, in his late twenties, working at the. Spoilers for just mercy below walter mcmillan spent six years on death row for a crime he didnt commit, but even after the alabama resident was exonerated, he remained tormented by his years behind bars. Walter mcmillian is placed on death row before his case even goes to trial. Mcmillian october 27, 1941 september 11, 20 was an.
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