Mar 21 2006
Greg Wallis
He spent 18 years in a Texas state prison for a crime he did not commit.
Back in 1989, the prosecution said he broke into a woman’s home and sexually assaulted her, and a jury of his peers agreed, but now the DNA tells another story.
On March 20 of this year, hear the judge set Greg Wallis free.
Now, at age 46, he re-joins a world that wanted to forget him.
In a moving courtroom appearance, Wallis makes a statement everyone will remember.
“Don’t give up. I didn’t cop out. I kept fightin’.”
Wallis fought for two years for the genetic tests. He got them, and now the state may have to pay him $250,000.
The above may sound like a movie trailer, and I wrote it to sound that way. In fact, it’s a true story I saw on the news tonight. The facts and the quote are exactly as they appeared on the news.
I guess he decided his Andy Dufresne days were over (get that reference and win a written accolade right here in the comments section).
All kidding aside, though, it’s awful what happened to Wallis, and he’s not the only one with a story like this. It’s happening more and more. Can you imagine? The unfortunate side of this is that a lot of men (and women) are wrongly in jail but never will be saved by a DNA test, because the evidence either just isn’t there for it, or has been lost over the years. Texas has put five people to death this year. I wonder…
This is relevant to the book I wrote. I just have to revise it a little more, and then I will release it online, in easily digestable chunks.
In the meantime, think of Greg Wallis and his going from age 28 to 46 behind bars, knowing full well that he had done nothing to warrant it. He got out and said that he is interested in finding a job and wants to go fishing. Good day, dear readers.
I loved The Shawshank Redemption.
I often wonder that myself… how many innocent people are put to death
You may have inspired me to write about the death penalty. I can’t comprehend how it would feel to be wrongly imprisoned.
You got it, Simon! You get the accolades.
“They said it would take 100 years to dig out of Shawshank. Andy Dufresne did it in 25.” One of my all-time favorite movie lines. I think the years are right anyway. Whatever they were, I can hear Morgan Freeman narrating them in my head. Best narration ever IMO.
During 7 and a half years of his incarceration I was Greg Wallis’ wife. We tried and tried to get people to listen to us. I wrote to the Dallas Morning News, Innocence Project, even hired two attorneys. (Bet they are sorry they didn’t try harder). We made our marriage work by letters and our 2 hour visits every weekend. Do to many difficulties and health issues I had to end our marriage in 2005. Greg is a wonderful person. Deserves nothing but happiness, but most of all his freedom.