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Christopher Williams, an exonerated Philadelphia man who spent nearly three decades in prison before he was released last year, was fatally shot last week, authorities said in a statement.
On Friday, December 16, Christopher Williams, 62, was shot in the head while attending a funeral at Mount Peace Cemetery at 2:20 pm. Willaims, who was cleared after being convicted of four murders, was pronounced dead a few minutes after he was taken to an area hospital.
On Wednesday, December 21, Philadelphia police confirmed the death of Willaims and said they have yet to make an arrest in connection to the murder.
Christopher Williams spent more than two decades on death row before being exonerated
On Friday, December 16, Christopher Williams, a wrongfully convicted man who spent 25 years on death row, was fatally shot in the head while attending a funeral service in Mount Peace Cemetery in Philadelphia. Williams, who was released on February 2021, was killed as he stepped out of his car, which was part of the funeral procession.
Williams, a father of six who was working as a carpenter after being released from prison, was pronounced dead minutes after he was rushed to Temple University Hospital.
Williams and a codefendant, Troy Coulston, were convicted in 1992 for the murder of Michael Haynesworth, who was killed in 1989. The following year, the duo was convicted again of a triple murder and spent years in prison. William and Coulston were acquitted based on evidence that revealed coerced testimony acquired by offering a reduced sentence to a criminal. The prosecutors also concealed vital information that was never disclosed to the defense lawyers.
As per the New York Post, Williams reportedly still visited the inmates at the prison after he was released and advocated for people who were wrongfully convicted. In a statement, Willaims’ bereaved son, Christopher Hartwell, said:
“Speaking of the year and eight months I had him out here, he taught me how to be a better man. He helped me be a better father myself.”
As per NBC, Williams’ longtime attorney, Stuart Lev, also released a statement mourning his client's death.
"It's incredibly tragic. This guy went through decades in prison, 25 years on death row, for crimes he did not commit, because the system fails.”
He added:
"He kept fighting, and he wouldn't give up. He just kept insisting that he keep trying different ways of fighting. Whether that was to keep his hopes up or that was just his own determination and perseverance, that's what he did. He worked very hard with his lawyers to make sure his lawyers kept doing that, too."
As per NBC, Christopher Williams reportedly aspired to start a contractor business and hire freed convicts before he was killed.
