A year-long inves­ti­ga­tion by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund has uncov­ered evi­dence that Larry Griffin may have been inno­cent of the crime for which he was exe­cut­ed by the state of Missouri on June 21, 1995. Griffin main­tained his inno­cence until his death, and inves­ti­ga­tors say his case is the strongest demon­stra­tion yet of an exe­cu­tion of an inno­cent man. The report notes that a man injured in the same dri­ve-by shoot­ing that claimed the life of Quintin Moss says Griffin was not involved in the crime, and the first police offi­cer on the scene has giv­en a new account that under­mines the tri­al tes­ti­mo­ny of the only wit­ness who iden­ti­fied Griffin as the mur­der­er. Based on its find­ings, the NAACP has sup­plied the pros­e­cu­tion with the names of three men it sus­pects com­mit­ted the crime, and all three of the sus­pects are cur­rent­ly in jail for oth­er mur­ders. Prosecutor Jennifer Joyce said she has reopened the inves­ti­ga­tion and will con­duct a com­pre­hen­sive review of the case over the next few months. ​“There is no real doubt that we have an inno­cent per­son. If we could go to tri­al on this case, if there was a forum where we could take this to tri­al, we would win hands down,” stat­ed University of Michigan law pro­fes­sor Samuel Gross, who super­vised the inves­ti­ga­tion into Griffin’s case. 

(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 11, 2005). Read the NAACP report on Larry Griffin’s case. See also, Innocence.

Citation Guide