January 5, 1960 - August 13, 2009. Miller, the Mississippi investigator who made the lineup and asked for the two to be interrogated, declined to answer questions from APM Reports. Check resumes and CV, arrest records, places of employment, social media profiles, photos and videos, public records, skilled experts, publications and memorials . I aint saying nothing bad. 5 Visits. The crime had a random and senseless quality to it. Both involved store employees who were shot execution-style, a .380 handgun that might have jammed, and a suspect wearing Fila shoes. During nearly 30 years of crimes, he's shown a quick temper, and a penchant for daytime robberies and violence against women. And why didnt DA Doug Evans even consider the Presley-Gamble connection? You said that was an airtight alibi we talked to Twanda and she said she wasnt with you that day., Hemphill: They released me based on that. Three of the four were each killed with a single head shot. I dont think they learned anything.. But we found a document showing that another man, Willie James Hemphill, had also been questioned just days after the murders. He freely admitted that he had been a suspect and even says that, although innocent, he would have made a more convincing suspect than Curtis. That same day, Horace Wayne Miller, a lieutenant with the Mississippi Highway patrol, asked Norfolk officials to keep him apprised of their investigation. Willie James Hemphill, age 37, Justice, IL Search Report. The fourth and fifth trials ended with hung juries. When Flowers went back on trial, Armstrong heard no mention of the gun by either prosecutors or defense attorneys. Initially, Hemphill refused to provide further details of his whereabouts on July 16, 1996. Willie James Hemphill is confronted by reporters at an Indianapolis courthouse in June 2019. Presley and Gamble did four of the June heists together and one crime was perpetrated by Presley alone. They fell out and broke. 1.58 3.33 /5. Last month, the Supreme Court overturned Flowers latest conviction, citing In The Darks reporting. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Between June 19th, 1996 and June 30thof that year, Presley was involved in five robberies at gunpoint. Although Presley was only sixteen, he seems to have been the driving force behind these crimes. Flowers, who had been fired from the store 13 days before the murders, reportedly owed a small amount of money to one of the owners. His website is. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Sound for the film Belfast. The Dallas Morning News Homepage. While Presley drove the action, Gamble kept his gun trained on the scene in case anyone tried to flee. Actually,In the Dark hasnt weighed in on the guilt-innocence issue (thats not what they do), but their careful dissection of DA Doug Evans case against Flowers has left the case in a shambles. Marcus Presley, then 16, points a gun at pawn shop owner John Burleson shortly before killing him on July 25, 1996, in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. Police received a call about the murders at 10:21 a.m. Hemphill said investigators tape recorded the interrogation and took notes, none of which was in the file given to Flowers defense attorneys. They found out later that Flowers uncle, Doyle Simpson, said his .380 automatic had been stolen from the glove box of his car parked at the Angelica Garment Factory where he worked. He didnt bother anybody.. . She said she had seen somebody at 7:15 a.m. outside Simpsons car at the factory. Submit an Obituary. WINONA Renowned pathologist Dr. Michael Baden said evidence he reviewed of the 1996 Tardy Furniture slayings suggests more than one personcarried out the quadruple murder. It's not like you're going to say, 'Yeah I robbed this 7-11, but I didn't rob that 7-11.'". He died on July 14, 2000 at age 81. He's shown a fearlessness about committing brazen attacks and thefts in daylight with high risks and low payoff, in places close to where he's lived and where people are more likely to recognize him. Reporters from In the Dark tried to contact Hemphill online to present him with these findings. "I was coming out of Piggly Wiggly and there was a woman, I will never forget her name. If Gamble and McKenzie were in Mississippi the day of the Winona murders its very possible that Presley was with them. Are you a wh*re?, Reporter: Did you commit the murders on Front Street? Grief Support. That said, I dont see a compelling motive, and none of these people is any more capable of pulling off an outrage on this scale than poor Curtis Flowers. But after several hours of interviews conducted over two days, Hemphill finally disclosed his alibi: He said he was at a mall in Memphis at the time of the murders, with a Winona woman named Twanda Woods. And he's shown a quick and violent temper, particularly with women who don't comply with his demands. Injustice flourishes in the darkness, and the sun is now blazing in the heavens (at least for Curtis Flowers). Flowers has remained imprisoned the entire time, for more than 20 years. The Tardy Furniture murders were committed at a store on Front Street in Winona, Mississippi, at about 10 a.m., and around the time that one of the store's employees, Carmen Rigby, was returning with a bank bag. With the discrediting of Hallmon and other witnesses, Saums said, I think the district attorney would find it hard to prosecute Curtis Flowers again, much less convict him.. <a . Mr. Willie James Hemphill, of 1119-101 Kevin Lane, died Thursday, November 9, 2017. He said he called Tardy the next day, asking if he still had a job, and she said he didnt. Investigators said the Simpson brothers were eliminated quickly because they were both at work at the time of the murders. I knew Curtis had started to get involved in crack. "You're confusing me. Search by Name. Courtroom testimonyshows that Presley was the shooter in the pawn shop murders in Birmingham even though, prior to being shown video of the crime, he insisted that Gamble had been the gunman. The second season of the In the Dark podcast is about the case of Curtis Flowers, who was tried six times for the same crime. Miller would not comment. Curtis Flowers is on Mississippis death row, convicted of the murders after six trials, but his lawyers, APM Reports In the Dark podcast, the Starz TV program The Wrong Man and others have raised questions about his guilt. An August 15, 1996, article in The Winona Times reported that law enforcement officials in three states "released statements that they believe [Presley and Gamble] could be linked to Winona's case.". Willie James Hemphill was born on June 2, 1941. And in the first Flowers trial, in 1997, he testified that "there were numerous suspects" in the early days of the investigation. In the Dark has previously reported that Hemphill was an initial suspect in the days after the July 1996 murders in Winona, Mississippi. However, In the Dark's reporting has uncovered no clear evidence linking him to the Tardy murders. Hemphill's Timeline Willie James Hemphill has an extensive criminal record starting in 1990, just when Hemphill was eighteen-years old. James Mather is a British sound editor. Submit an Obituary. The ordeal of Curtis Flowers screams for correction. Share to Reddit. This case was filed in U.S. Courts Of Appeals, U.S. Court Of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. The podcasts reporters spent months methodically proving that prosecutors systematically denied black people a seat in the jury box, and how a man who is likely innocent has been repeatedly sentenced to death. Simplistic journalism ethics call for reporters to follow the facts wherever they might lead. But we found a document showing that another man, Willie James Hemphill, had also been questioned just days after the murders. The podcast, which uncovered evidence used by Flowers to get his conviction overturned, spoke with witness Clemmie Fleming. Episode 10 of the In the Dark Podcast was largely dedicated to the strange case of Willie James Hemphill, a local bad boy with a violent streak who was continually getting cross-ways with the law. Detective Goldberg got Presley and Gamble to confess their roles in a pair of murders at a Birmingham pawn shop less than two weeks after the Tardy Furniture murders. For Ali and the other lawyers working on Flowers' appeal at the time, this was a significant revelation. Willie James Hemphill has done many terrible things. Records show he was questioned Hemphill said he was interrogated for hours and held for 11 days before being released. Follow him onFacebookandTwitter. View More. But there was no mention of the Alabama crimes and suspects in the investigative files the prosecution had turned over to Flowers' defense attorneys. One of them wore Grant Hill Fila sneakers. And maybe his girlfriend, Katherine Snow, told the authorities that she saw Curtis leaning up against Doyle Simpsons car because thats what investigators wanted to hear. Memphis is two hours north of Winona, just across the border with Tennessee. Willie married Janeen Winegar on August 10, 2003 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the midst of the probe, the Mississippi Crime Lab sent a copy of the bloody shoeprint found at Tardy to the lead Boston investigator. The truths going to come out.. Hallmon told APM Reports that he became a prosecution witness in spring 2001 after being arrested on multiple drug charges. It might mean letting someone get away with an abominable crime. Hemphill certainly sounds like a career criminal who is fully capable of committing violence; but he doesnt come off as a psychopathic killerand whoever did the deed at the Tardy furniture store was either a hired killer (or killers) or enjoyed killing people for kicks. The show has won rightful fame for its work helping to save Flowers life. 1809 Gatewood Aven, Greensboro, NC 27405-6727 is the last known address for Willie. The murder weapon in the Tardy Furniture case was a .380, and an unfired round was found at the scene; investigators believe that might indicate that the gun had jammed. Obituaries Section. In the Flowers case, Evans and investigators asserted that Flowers was the main suspect from the beginning, including up to his sixthand, so far, final trial. "I don't know nothing about it.". Send Flowers. Username. She had at least 2 sons and 1 daughter with James Tobias Whitehead. Passed away February 25, 2012. Hemphill also wasnt held briefly. He said he wondered what happened with the gun. Told that Woods had a clear memory of being in Winona on the morning of July 16 and learning, outside the Piggly Wiggly, that the murders had just happened, Hemphill interrupted and altered his story. But Flowers deserves to have a fair trial and prosecution, he said. The case status is Pending - Other Pending. Maybe Doyle did the deed and reported his gun stolen to throw everyone off the scent. Following their Alabama crime spree, Presley and Gamble fled north to Boston, where Gamble had relatives. UNLOCK PROFILE. Fourteen lawyers. AVERAGE AGE. Afraid that he would be shot on sight if he didnt surrender, Hemphill turned himself in at the local police station (wearing Grant Hill Filas, the shoes investigators had linked to a bloody footprint at the crime scene) and was immediately handcuffed and booked into the local lock-up. By licks he meant places to rob.. Saums pointed out that Simpson who has since died lied to police about how he had gotten the gun. The prosecutors had said repeatedly at trial that the only suspect seriously investigated was Flowers. The justices wrote that it was as strong a prima facie case of racial discrimination as we have ever seen in the context of a Batson challenge. The Dallas Morning News. We encourage you to research and . John Johnson, the DAs investigator, told the jury, I think they talked to him for five minutes. Doug Evans, the district attorney who prosecuted Flowers in all six trials, has declined to be interviewedby APM Reports and has not returned calls from the Clarion Ledger. Willie Hemphill's passing at the age of 97 has been publicly announced by Arnold Family Funeral Services Inc. - Hillside Chapel in Altadena, CA.Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share memori Sympathy Ideas. Me and Twanda was out of town," he said. Hemphill had previously told police and the podcast that he was not in Winona on the morning of the murders. Reporters also poked holes in Hemphill . LOW HIGH. Find records of Willie Hemphill . Why was he questioned? Gamble and Presley are serving life in prison for their Alabama crime spree. Add a Memory. The Dallas Morning News Homepage. A defense expert responded in a sworn statement that the bloody footprints left behind by the popular shoe could havebeen anywhere between sizes 8.5 and 11. Are you a sl*t? Willie Ray Hemphill, Jr., 49, of Bryan, passed away Thursday, August 13, 2009 at his residence. Willie James Hemphill didn't come up until the sixth Flowers trial, and law enforcement officers said he was eliminated as a suspect in about five minutes. Baran found Hemphills booking card showing he had been arrested and jailed a few days after the killing. He said: "If it wasn't for the fact that I had an airtight alibi, I could be the one on death row right now. (1870), A.M. (1872), and LL.D. Each victim of the July 16, 1996 murders was murdered execution styleone or two bullets to the back of the head. "Because once you get people on a roll to admitting to crimes, they just don't stop. … A bunch of lies., Asked about Hallmons recantation, District Attorney Doug Evans, who has prosecuted Flowers in all six trials, said, Thats why the judge instructs the jury that a jailhouse informant is not very reliable, because they can change their statements very easily, for any reason. An early suspect in the murders, Willie James Hemphill, who has a long criminal history, lived less than a mile from where Armstrong found this gun in 2011. Saums said it makes sense the killers would have left through the side door, rather than go out the front door onto busy Front Street, the small towns main drag. According to testimony in Flowers' first trial, authorities found $255 hidden in the headboard of Flowers' girlfriend. A burglary took place at Tardy Furniture just eight days before the killings. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. Email Address: w XMLS @yahoo.com +1 email. In 1996, four people were killed execution-style inside Tardy Furniture, which faces one of the busiest streets in the small town of Winona. But that doesnt mean that he killed those four people at Tardy Furniture. Case Details Parties Documents Dockets . LAYTON - Willie Morris Hemphill, 69, passed away August 11, 2018 at St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. He didn't work on July 4, a holiday, and didn't show up for work on July 5, 6 or 8. And in searching for Hemphill, she came upon a cousin with the same name who recalled three carloads of deputies showing up at his mobile home in 1996 looking for the other Hemphill. A series of Willie James Hemphill mugshots ranging from 2000 through 2016. His mother lived there, and he had gone to school there on and off. The second season of the In the Dark podcast is about the case of Curtis Flowers, who was tried six times for the same crime. Who was he? How do we create a person's profile? The presence of Presley in the lineup raised some questions about the testimony of law enforcement witnesses who'd said under oath that Presley was never a suspect in the Tardy case. What are we supposed to think? . It was his legal obligation, but its easy to see why he didnt. Search by Name. Share to Pinterest. In other words, Evans committed two egregiousBrady violations that will, in the days that lie ahead, force the courts to grant a new trial and, just as likely, insist that Doug Evans recuse himself from this case. Six trials and six successful appeals. Willie James Hemphill Addresses Click Here For Willie James Hemphill's Last Known Address 1241 Hatfield Dr, Evansville, IN 47714 1001 Mississippi Ave, Greenwood, MS 38930. No one was going to all that trouble over the approximately $400 investigators say was in the till that morning. Illuminating Journalism from American Public Media. William is related to Alicia Kristen Hemphill . SEND FLOWERS. So, if Curtis didnt do this terrible deed, who did? Reporter: Mr Hemphill. The bodies of Derrick Stewart, 16, Robert Golden, 42, Carmen Rigby, 45, and Bertha Tardy, 59, were found spread throughout the store and in the back office. July 2, 2019 | by Parker Yesko and Dave Mann. Her new position on exactly what happened that morning is likely to be heard by a jury if Fleming faces one for a seventh time. So, if Curtis Flowers isnt guilty, who is? Winona, Mississippi lies three hours west of Birmingham on Highway 82. According to the ledger, about$287 was missing from the cash drawer the morning of the murders. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Willie James Hemphill (1952 - 2006) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. 5 Visits. That discovery will very likely win Curtis a new trial, but it doesnt necessarily finger the new guy as the killer. The district's Republicans should nominate James Hemphill as their candidate for Congress in the May 3 primary. And Hemphill had a history of committing crimes in Winona and Memphis. Find Willie Hemphill's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading online directory for contact information. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. But how could a single person (especially a man like Curtis Flowers) dispatch four victims with a bullet to the back of the head? He's also targeted women in general and often women carrying purses. In the 1980s and '90s, Hemphill spent time in Memphis. In 1880 James, now 16, has an additional. But maybe she didnt see anyone at all. He said he would have sent a written report back to Mississippi, so authorities there could check out the stories. Hemphill seemed surprised when reminded that he'd told In the Dark in June 2018 that he was with an old friend named Twanda Woods. So, if I am forced to pick an alternative perpetrator in this awful case I would lean toward the Birmingham Boys, Presley in particular. Editor's note: This endorsement editorial was updated on . . The answer was yes many, many times. Name. The judge denied Flowers' request to attend his mother funeral here on July 21. Surveillance video from John's 280 Pawn Shop broadcast by ABC News. (Although that figure is, at best, an educated guess.). It took the In the Dark team a full year to track Hemphill down in an Indianapolis courtroom (he's still getting into trouble). View contact information: phones, addresses, emails and networks. The answer was yes many, many times. Username. Resides in Greenwood, MS. Presley was the tougher of the two, and he didn't say much. View More. Fleming had said six times since 1996 she saw Flowers running from the store on the morning of the murders. Yet despite a number of theft and drug charges, probation violations, at least four domestic violence convictions and a girlfriend who alleges he stabbed her 13 times Hemphill has managed to avoid a long stint in prison. Record that.. Hemphill: A lot of people dont like to talk to the press and the police., Reporter: She was actually pretty talkative., Hemphill: Maybe she dont recall the day in question., Reporter: She actually has a really clear memory of that day., Hemphill: I dont know what she told you. Mississippi Highway Patrol Lt. Wayne Miller, the investigator who created the lineup, testified that the only suspect pictured in the lineup was Flowers. During nearly 30 years of crimes, Willie James Hemphill has shown a quick temper, and a penchant for daytime robberies and violence against women. 0 Add Rating Anonymously. "Best I remember is somebody brought it to the attention of the investigators that they wanted us to talk to him, and he came in and we talked to him," Matthews said on the stand in the sixth trial. When we finally found Hemphill, living in Indianapolis, he had some very surprising things to say about the case . But at Curtis Flowers' trials, the prosecution downplayed any investigation of other suspects. Hemphill says he was in Memphis on the day of the murder and his alibi might check out. After learning that Willie James Hemphill was an initial suspect in the murders at Tardy Furniture, reporters for In the Dark wanted to find out if he'd ever broken the law before. The only other such form in the file was signed by Flowers. In the sixth trial, inmate Odell Hallmon testified that Flowers told him about carrying out the Tardy murders, helping lead to Flowers conviction. Selected filmography. At first he was reluctant to divulge who he was with that morning, but later said it was a woman named Twanda Woods. Finding the truly guilty person (or people) strengthens the case that Flowers is innocent. In Flowers' third trial, Snow testified that the height of the man she saw was between 5-foot-3 and 5-foot-5. Jessie Mae Hemphill; Jimmie Gordon; Jimmy "Duck" Holmes; Jimmy Burns; Jimmy Dawkins; Jimmy Holmes; Jimmy Johnson; . District Attorney Doug Evans argues that Flowers, enraged with losing his job, stole a gun out of a parked car at the Angelica garment factory, cooled his heels at home for an hour or so, then marched to the furniture store with murder in his eye, did the foul deed, and raced home. Baran said she reached out to the two state investigators who questioned Hemphill, Matthews and Wayne Miller. Willie James Hemphill Obituary. The two of them walked the same school halls from first grade through high school, he said. James Graham, was a blues pianist and her mother, Virgie Lee Graham, was skilled in many instruments, though she did not . But Curtis Flowers is somehow still not cleared of the gruesome quadruple murder on July 16, 1996. But if Curtis Flowers doesnt get relief in the face of these well-publicized facts there will be hell to pay. That might not be so if the whole world wasnt watching, but it is. If Flowers did what he is accused of doing, he deserves his punishment, Armstrong said. Later, he said, one of the officers, Vince Small, came by, and he handed the officer the gun.
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