Texas Black Man Exonerated Nearly 70 Years After Execution in Case Marked by Racial Bias
Officials in Texas have formally declared that a Black man executed nearly 70 years ago is innocent, in a case that prosecutors now acknowledge was built on false evidence and deeply tainted by racial prejudice. The posthumous exoneration of Tommy Lee Walker, who was put to death in the electric chair in May 1956, follows an extensive review uncovering systemic injustices during the Jim Crow era in Dallas.
A Case Rooted in Racial Panic and False Evidence
Walker was convicted in 1954 for the rape and murder of 31-year-old Venice Parker, a white store clerk, in Dallas. The killing occurred in September 1953, a period of heightened racial tension in the area, with reports of a Peeping Tom believed to be a Black man terrorising women. According to the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney's Office, this climate fuelled a rush to judgment that led to Walker's wrongful conviction.
An investigation by the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney's Office, assisted by the Innocence Project of New York and Northeastern University School of Law's Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, revealed multiple flaws in the case. Key issues included problematic statements from a Dallas police officer who claimed Parker identified her attacker as a Black man, despite witnesses denying she could have done so due to her severe injuries.
Coerced Confession and Inadequate Defence
Walker, who was 19 years old at the time of his arrest four months after the crime, faced coercive interrogation tactics. Dallas police captain Will Fritz, a known member of the Ku Klux Klan, subjected him to threatening methods, leading Walker to confess out of fear for his life, as later testified.
At his trial, Walker's defence presented ten witnesses who testified he was at a local hospital with his girlfriend during the birth of their son, Edward Lee Smith, at the time of the murder. However, in the racially charged atmosphere of 1950s Dallas, this alibi carried little weight with an all-white jury, which swiftly convicted him.
Emotional Resolution and Calls for Justice Reform
During a recent meeting of Dallas County commissioners, District Attorney John Creuzot highlighted the case's legal errors and racial injustice, stating it was "riddled with racial injustice during a time when prejudice and bigotry were woven throughout every aspect of society, including the criminal justice system." The commissioners unanimously passed a symbolic resolution declaring Walker wrongfully convicted and executed, calling it a "profound miscarriage of justice."
The exoneration was driven in part by journalist Mary Mapes, who began investigating the case 13 years ago. Mapes told commissioners, "He paid with his life for a crime he could not have committed." In an emotional moment, Walker's son, 72-year-old Edward Lee Smith, and the victim's son, Joseph Parker, shared a heartfelt hug, expressing mutual sorrow and regret over the tragedy.
Smith recounted the lifelong impact of his father's execution, saying, "I'm 72 years old and I still miss my daddy." Joseph Parker emphasised the need for learning from past mistakes to prevent future wrongful convictions, urging society to avoid repeating such injustices.
