I just saw this documentary for the first time in my class. I found it to me very wrong how this young man was accused of murder.
However, what disturbed me the most was how after the trial, the woman's purse was screened for fingerprints and then the real killer's fingerprints were found on the bag that was there the whole time.
Shouldn't that have been done in the beginning so the poor 15 year old didn't have to face being charged with murder?
Yes. They showed that all they did was interrogate the kid and did no other detective work. They didn't check the dumpster or bag for fingerprints. They didn't really interrogate the parents and talked to none of the neighbors. They just went on the word of the husband.
He never should have been arrested in the first place. From the film it seemed that when he was arrested they didn't even have a description of him. If they picked up another black guy first he may have been accused.
Also if your 15 and murdered something why would you be walking around? Also the purse was found so many miles away at least a 20 minute drive.
Wow... I'm in awe of how horribly bad this detective work was. Unbelievable.
shareThis is typical for many states, especially in the South. People think about Florida being a diverse and somewhat progressive state and all, but I will tell this-
Racist, red-necks have a stranglehold on state/county/govt jobs, police, and the judicial system. These are the inbred, red-neck decedents of the original "Florida Crackers" and very much have the mentality of 1920s Selma, Alabama.
The "tourists" in this film might have been from another state, but I don't consider them tourists at all, they are from the same in-bred, racist, white stock. All of them knew the score quite well-
1. Grab the first black man you see
2. Give a positive ID that he is the culprit. "Yep, dem niggras all look the same."
3. Proceed to beat, threaten and intimidate said black male into confessing.
4. Bring case before racist, corrupt, truth-be-damned, DAs Office to prosecute.
5. Attend your all white church on Sunday and congratulate yourself on what a great Christian you are.
But sure, I guess this is progress, in 1920s Selma it would have been-
1. 1. Grab the first black man you see.
2. Fasten rope around neck, tie to nearest tree branch, and invite the entire town to watch him die in agony.
3. Attend your all white church on Sunday and congratulate yourself on what a great Christian you are.
Shouldn't that have been done in the beginning so the poor 15 year old didn't have to face being charged with murder?Yes, it is really quite surprising that the police didn't check for fingerprints as this would have overwhelmingly strengthened their case and I don't think Butler would have stood a chance of acquittal had his prints been found on the bag. (Obviously they weren't there because he was innocent).