After 12 Years, DNA Clears Innocent Prisoner

By Bert Case

A Jackson man was released Monday after serving 12 years behind bars for murder and armed robbery.

29 year old Cedric Willis had been charged in 1994 with the murder of Carl White Junior and the robbing of White's wife Gloria, at their home on Michael Clay Drive. He was convicted on eye witness testimony in 1997.

He told his mother he would be right back when they arrested him. He said he told her that because, "The things they were saying, I did, I knew I didn't do none of that, so I told my mama I'll be right back and I never saw her again until 12 years later."

Willis is one of 175 people who have been freed by DNA evidence since 1988. He was ordered released by Circuit Judge Tomie Green. A lawyer for the Innocence Project in New Orleans, Emily Maw was instrumental in getting Willis released, with the DNA evidence. She said the lession of this case is that you should never rely on "eyewitness testomony", because as compelling as it is, it has been wrong in 77 per cent of the cases where DNA produced a release.