02/09/2018
That Night:
REPOST
From : Bailey Jr, William
Date Received :11/02/2016 05:02 PM CDT
Subject : "William's Case Summary"
On Saturday, February 7, 1987 approximately thirty - five to forty other people were present at Will's Players Lounge on the intersection of 55th and Spruce Street in West Philly. An argument erupted between two individuals from different groups in the bar. The bartenders told the two groups to take their dispute outside. Many patrons went outside to watch two individuals lock in a fierce fist fight. An unidentified member of the crowd held a gun to Derrick "Ditto" Walker's head firing a shot killing Walker instantly. The assailant then fled.
A week later on Sunday, February 14, 1988 after attending Walker's funeral - " who was a neighborhood friend, growing up as youths" William was arrested and charged with the murder of Derrick "Ditto" Walker. On August 4, 1989 William was tried and convicted by a trial jury of first degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. William's defense at trial was an alibi defense. He admitted that he had been present at the bar that night but, maintained that he left Will's Player’s Lounge prior to any fight or shooting. William produced several witnesses to corroborate his version of events.
Presently, William has been fighting for freedom to prove his innocence of such a horrific crime. He's case has captured the attention of organizations such as Centurion Ministries and Temple University Innocence Projects, who have reviewed, investigated and concluded and agreed that William was wrongly convicted of a crime he did not commit... The initial investigation done by the Philadelphia Police Department and District Attorney’s Office was at best sloppy and rushed by an over zealous prosecutor who only wanted to close the case. Also, Prosecutor only lone eyewitness five years later recanted his testimony that William wasn't the shooter and was coerced into identifying William as the person who shot and killed "Derrick "Ditto" Walker. William's conviction still was not over turned.
Tom Wolf: FREE WILLIAM BAILEY JR
