New netflix documentary reveals how former baseball star narrowly avoided being. Dec 17, 2018 the innocent man recounts the case of dennis fritz left and ron williamson and their wrongful conviction for the 1988 murder of debra sue carter in oklahoma. Profiles dennis fritz burden of innocence frontline pbs. Ron williamson was born in 1953 in ada, oklahoma the same town as murdered debbie carter. A shoulder injury ruined his career though, and williamson returned home in the late 1970s. The crime and investigation the 21yearold victim left her waitressing job and was found raped and murdered in her apartment. Dennis fritz and ron williamson midwest innocence project. Apr 26, 2009 dennis fritz ron williamson story with photo it took more than 11 years for kansas citys dennis fritz to be proven innocent of a murder he didnt commit and released from an oklahoma prison.
Fritz and williamson are the subject of a netflix series based on the bestselling book by john grisham, the innocent man. Dec 14, 2018 williamson died a few years after getting out, but dennis fritz now dedicates time to telling the story of his prison stay, how his faith in god helped him keep a level mind while behind bars, and. He branched out to barry scheck, the founder of the innocence project, for help grisham. Both were released 11 years later when dna evidence. Williamson s few friends when he returned to town after his. May 01, 2003 fritz frequently visited ada, where he befriended ron williamson, a tall, lanky local who suffered from mental disorders. Williamson received a death sentence, while fritz was sentenced to life without parole. Williamson died a few years after getting out, but dennis fritz now dedicates time to telling the story of his prison stay, how his faith in god helped. Ronald keith williamson national registry of exonerations. The other two, tommy ward and karl fontenot, remain in prison, despite a preponderance of evidence. Netflixs the innocent man tells half a story the atlantic. Dec 14, 2018 two of those men, ron williamson and dennis fritz, have since been exonerated by dna evidence. In his book, the innocent man, john grisham recounted that police. Fritz, on the other hand, read a lot of law books in jail and was soon pressing for a new trial.
In 1982, dennis fritz and ron williamson were convicted of a brutal rape and murder in a small town in oklahoma. The book journey toward justice by dennis fritz is a memoir and john grisham calls compelling and fascinating. Grishams book centers on the case of williamson and fritzwho were. John grisham wrote about the case in his book,the innocent man. Two men wrongfully convicted of killing an ada woman 20 years ago have settled their lawsuit against the state and the city of ada. His friend dennis fritz was sentenced to life imprisonment, while williamson was sentenced to death. Dennis fritz and his codefendant ron williamson were convicted in 1988. Dennis fritz author of journey toward justice it took three more years and the help of kansas city attorney and mip board member cheryl pilate to obtain the compensation which fritz and fellow exoneree ron williamson deserved for their wrongful. Dec 14, 2018 dennis fritz and ron williamson were wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of 21yearold debbie carter, whose death shook the town of ada, oklahoma in 1982 after over a decade of appeals. Grisham writes about ron williamson and his role in the case.
John grisham is passionate about the innocent man aarp. Sep 28, 2007 the two men originally convicted of debbie sue carters murder in ada, okla. Nov 29, 2002 may 15, 2020 two men wrongfully convicted of killing an ada woman 20 years ago have settled their lawsuit against the state and the city of ada. The same dna evidence that overturned fritz and williamson s convictions. An overzealous prosecutor bent on winning relied on flimsy circumstantial evidence and dennis was convicted and sentenced to life in prison while his codefendant, ronnie williamson was sentenced. Williamson and fritzs case is the subject for john grisham s first nonfiction book, the innocent man. His friend dennis fritz was sentenced to life imprisonment, while williamson. The innocent man recounts the case of dennis fritz left and ron williamson and their wrongful conviction for the 1988 murder of debra sue carter in oklahoma. This case is regarding ron williamson and dennis fritz being wrongfully charged with murder of debbie carter. In 2006 he published his first nonfiction story portraying an actual wrongful conviction case involving two friends, ron williamson and dennis fritz. Journey toward justice is the one and only companion book to john grishams, the innocent man.
If you believe that in america you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. Fritz frequently visited ada, where he befriended ron williamson, a tall, lanky local who suffered from mental disorders. The only thing that saved dennis fritz from the death penalty was a lone vote from a juror. Apr 06, 2020 for reasons that were never clear, they suspected ron williamson and his friend dennis fritz. Ron williamson left his small town in oklahoma as a highschool 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. In 1982, a 21 yearold cocktail waitress, debra sue carter, was raped and murdered, and for five years the crime went unsolved. So was a second man, dennis fritz, a high school science teacher who had been one of mr.
For reasons that were never clear, they suspected ron williamson and his friend dennis fritz. Did refusing to confess help dennis in the long run. Dennis fritz has his first book journey toward justice on amazon and is a top seller worldwide. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with murder. It wasnt until dna testing was available, did they finally know the truth. Dennis fritz was ron williamsons friend and codefendant in the debra sue carter murder case. Murder and injustice in a small town, published in 2006. Williamson was sent to death row and spent eleven years in prison before being exonerated. Ron williamson and dennis fritz were convicted in 1988 for carters brutal 1982 rape and murder. Dennis fritz and ron williamson were prosecuted by peterson and convicted of killing carter. Jul 04, 2007 dennis fritz was ron williamson s friend and codefendant in the debra sue carter murder case.
The other two, tommy ward and karl fontenot, remain in. Fritzs book, john gave his full and heart felt endorsement, stating that it was most compelling and fancinating. Sep 18, 2008 dennis fritz and ron williamson were prosecuted by peterson and convicted of killing carter. Both men were subsequently released once dna proved their innocence. In 1988, williamson, along with dennis fritz, was convicted of the murder of debra sue carter. Finally, desperate for someone to blame, police came to suspect ron williamson and his friend dennis fritz.
Profiles dennis fritz burden of innocence frontline. Dennis fritz and his codefendant ron williamson were convicted in 1988, in pontotoc county, oklahoma, of the murder of debra sue carter. Netflixs the innocent man rehashes the murder of debbie carter, an 80s case for which two men, dennis fritz and ron williamson, were convicted, then. Ron williamson and dennis fritz were convicted in 1988, in pontotoc. Murder and injustice in a small town, which was published in 2006 and was a bestseller.
Bestselling novelist john grisham read williamsons obituary in the new york times and made him and fritz the subject of his first nonfiction book, the innocent man. Why didnt dennis confess, while tommy ward and karl fotenot did. The twentyone year old victim had left her waitressing job and was found raped and. Innocence, after serving 11 years on a wrongful conviction. Nov 26, 2018 ron williamson left his small town in oklahoma as a highschool 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. Jan 31, 2008 the book journey toward justice by dennis fritz is a memoir and john grisham calls compelling and fascinating. John grishams first nonfiction book, the innocent man, primarily concerns ron williamson and dennis fritz, who were sent to prison in 1988 for the rape and murder of an oklahoma woman, then freed thanks to new dna evidence in 1999. Separate trials were held, and approximately two weeks before petitioners trial began, dennis fritz was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. But one of the books more compelling subplots involves a contemporaneous case in the same small town. Jul 21, 20 in 1982, dennis fritz and ron williamson were convicted of a brutal rape and murder in a small town in oklahoma.
Dennis fritz left and ron williamson upon their release from an oklahoma prison in 1999. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with capital murder. With no physical evidence, the prosecutions case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Murder and injustice in a small town about a tragedy that happened in ada, oklahoma in 1987. But as grisham methodically lays out, there was no case against him. The two would often play guitar together and then go out to local bars. Two of those men, ron williamson and dennis fritz, have since been exonerated by dna evidence. People with serious mental conditions or illnesses are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and in the pool of identified false confessors. The book tells the story of ronald ron keith williamson of ada, oklahoma, a former minor league baseball player who was wrongly convicted in 1988 of the rape and murder of debra sue carter in ada and was sentenced to death. Dna testing freed two innocent men and solved the mystery of who killed debbie carter. What happened to ron williamson and dennis fritz in ada, oklahoma based on untruths is beyond comprehension.
Ronald keith williamson february 3, 1953 december 4, 2004 was a former minor league baseball catcherpitcher who was one of two men wrongly convicted in 1988 in oklahoma for the rape and murder of debra sue debbie carter. The story of the unwarranted prosecution and wrongful conviction of dennis fritz is compelling and fascinating. Ronald ron keith williamson february 3, 1953 december 4, 2004 was a former minor league baseball catcherpitcher who was one of two men wrongly convicted in 1988 in oklahoma for the rape and murder of debra sue debbie carter. In 1978, having twice been charged with rape and found not. Williamson would also file for a separate appeal and in 1998 a dna test was granted to see if the dna in the semen at the scene matched either one. Murder and injustice in a small town is a 2006 true crime book by john grisham, his only nonfiction title as of 2020. Oct 06, 2006 dennis fritz was an ordinary middleaged man leading an ordinary life, when, on may 8, 1987, he was on his way to jail on charges of rape and murder.
Grishams book mostly followed the intense circumstances surrounding williamson. The innocent man mostly is about his codefendant ronnie williamson who was sentenced to death. Dennis fritz and ron williamson were wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of 21yearold debbie carter, whose death shook the town of ada, oklahoma in 1982. The two men originally convicted of debbie sue carters murder in ada, okla. Dennis fritz, along with codefendant ron williamson, was convicted in 1988, in pontotoc county, oklahoma, of the murder of debra sue carter. The same dna evidence that overturned fritz and williamsons convictions. To better understand how these two were wrongfully convicted some background information is needed. Dennis fritz is the real character in johns grishams book the innocent man. They were later cleared by dna evidence and freed after 12 years in prison. Dennis fritz and ron williamson were wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of 21yearold debbie carter, whose death shook the town of ada, oklahoma in.
In separate trials, both fritz and then williamson were found guilty in 1988. The innocent man mostly is about his codefendant ronnie williamson who was sentenced to. Williamson, who was sentenced to death, was just five days away from his execution when he was granted a stay. Not ron williamson, but the man who testified against him. Curtis mccarty was an innocent man in prison for 21 years. Murder and injustice in a small town, is a chronicle of the oklahoma case that resulted in the wrongful conviction of former minorleague baseball player ron williamson and his friend dennis fritz. Dennis fritz is the other innocent man mentioned in john grishams book. Ron williamson and dennis fritz were convicted in 1988, in pontotoc county, oklahoma, of the murder of debra sue carter. As i read the book, i could tell who the real murderer was. They were convicted in 1988 of murdering debra sue carter, 21, six years earlier.
Ron williamson is from a small town in oklahoma, ada. Williamson and friend dennis fritz were arrested five years later on flimsy testimony. He is also the subject of the john grishams nonfiction book the innocent man. The innocent mans true story how ron williamson cleared. After serving eleven years for a murder he did not commit, dennis was exonerated and had the strength and courage to put his life back together. Fritz ended up in jail under suspicion that he and ron keith williamson had murdered debra sue. Dennis fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence. Murder and injustice in a small town, is a chronicle of the oklahoma case that resulted in the wrongful conviction of former minorleague baseball player. But one of the book s more compelling subplots involves a contemporaneous case in the same small town. Wrongfully convicted pair settle suit against state, ada.
Nov 20, 2007 for reasons that were never clear, they suspected ron williamson and his friend dennis fritz. He was a natural athlete and excelled at sports, but his primary interest was baseball. After over a decade of appeals, williamson and fritz were. With no physical evidence, the prosecution s case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis fritz was an ordinary middleaged man leading an ordinary life, when, on may 8, 1987, he was on his way to jail on charges of rape and murder. Williamson died a few years after getting out, but dennis fritz now dedicates time to telling the story of his prison stay, how his faith in god helped him keep a level mind while behind bars, and.
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