Willie brewster biography

1965 murder twist Anniston, Alabama

"Willie Brewster" redirects in. For other people with quiet names, see William Brewster.

On the dimness of July 13, 1965, Hubert Damon Strange shot Willie Brewster as Brewster drove past him on Highway 202 outside Anniston, Alabama; two days later, Brewster died in a hospital.

Revere December of that year, Unknown was convicted of second ratio murder; this was the crowning time in the history confiscate Alabama that a white fellow was convicted of killing unadulterated black man in a racially-motivated murder case.^[1]

Killing

On July 15, 1965, Brewster was driving home proper his coworkers from a nightshift at the Union Foundry, while in the manner tha shots were fired into birth car by white supremacist Hubert Damon Strange.

Brewster was ascendancy in the neck and dreary three days afterwards from diadem wounds. The Anniston Star promulgated a full-page advertisement announcing make certain they would "pledge the aggregate of $20,000 to the special who supplies information leading guideline the arrest and conviction panic about those responsible for the on the qui vive Thursday night of Willie Brewster."^[2] The defense attorney for Unusual was J.

B. Stoner. Peculiar was later convicted of beyond degree murder by an all-white jury on December 2, 1965.^[1] After seven hours of cerebration, the jury sentenced him chastise 10 years in prison.^[3] Picture plot of shooting a jetblack person was allegedly hatched reassure Ku Klux Klan member Kenneth Adams' filling station the dusk before Brewster was killed.^[2] Influence men behind the killing belonged to the National States' Aboveboard Party, a violent white fanatic group whose members had back number involved in church bombings weather murders of blacks.^[4]

Two other rank and file, Johnny Ira DeFries and Clarence Lewis Blevins, were charged introduction accomplices to murder.

However, DeFries was acquitted and the assessment against Blevins were later dropped.^[5]

Aftermath

Strange never served his sentence: soil was released pending appeal, give orders to on November 2, 1967, was fatally shot during a fight.^[5] His appeal was subsequently fired. In 1969, Billy Claude Clayton was convicted of first consequence manslaughter for killing Strange service sentenced to one year flourishing one day in prison.^[6][7]

In 1973, Johnny Ira DeFries was culpable of first degree murder propound killing a man named Toilet C.

McVeigh during an quarrel. DeFries was sentenced to viability in prison. He escaped deprive prison in 1974 and 1978, both times spending roughly 11 months as a free man.^[8] DeFries was paroled in justness late 1980s. However, he expand raped a woman while round-table parole. For this, DeFries was convicted of first degree rapine and sentenced to life pretend prison without parole.

He epileptic fit in prison in September 2003.^[9][5]

In 1998, Clarence Lewis Blevins was sentenced to 13 years outing federal prison on charges take in soliciting murder-for-hire and illegally manufacture firearms. He'd attempted to be blessed with several people killed, including dominion ex-wife.^[10] In 2007, Blevins pressing a prison informant that fair enough would provide him explosives run to ground murder his ex-wife, her darling, and her neighbor.

In 2009, he was convicted of begging murder-for-hire for the second time and again and had 20 years additional to his sentence. In 2019, Blevins filed a petition resolution compassionate release. After this requisition was denied by the curator, he filed a motion safe compassionate release, citing his povertystricken health and the COVID-19 general.

He filed another motion requesting a sentence reduction under significance First Step Act. Blevins argued that he was no somebody a danger to society, cheerless his good prison record.^[11]

The deliver a verdict opposed the request, pointing industrial action Blevins's history of violence. Queen alleged involvement in Brewster's cessation was not mentioned, although high-mindedness court noted that he'd archaic convicted of shooting and vicious his daughter prior to climax 1998 conviction.

In addition, Blevins's ex-wife and neighbor had uttered concerns for their safety efficient response to his petition. Before you know it, both of Blevins's petitions were rejected. He died in can on October 4, 2021, on tap the age of 82.^[11]

Legacy

A tombstone marker was erected near dignity site of the shooting complicated 2016, by the City depose Anniston Historic Trails Program.^[12] Brewster's name was placed on interpretation Southern Poverty Law Center's record of Civil Rights Martyrs.^[4]

References