Mayor apologizes to black men wrongly linked to murder that exposed racism in Boston

The city of Boston formally apologized Wednesday to two black men wrongly linked to the death of Carol Stuart, a 30-year-old pregnant woman who was shot in 1989 in one of the city’s most famous cases. history that highlighted racial disparities.

Alan Swanson and Willie Bennett were publicly and falsely named by the news media as suspects in the murder, but were never formally charged.

Michelle Wu, the mayor of Boston, made the apology at a news conference after an extensive one investigation by The Boston Globe published this month and a related one HBO documentary series detailing how Boston’s history of racism led to the botched investigation.

“We are here today to acknowledge the tremendous pain the city of Boston inflicted on Black residents in our neighborhoods 34 years ago,” Ms. Wu said. “The mayor’s office, city officials and the Boston Police Department took actions that directly harmed these families and continue to impact the larger community, reopening a wound that has gone untreated for decades.”

Mr Swanson and members of Mr Bennett’s family attended the press conference.

“I want to say to Mr. Swanson and Mr. Bennett, the entire Bennett family and the entire black community of Boston, I am so sorry for what you have had to endure,” Ms. Wu said. “What was done to you was unjust, unfair, racist and wrong.”

On the night of October 23, 1989, Charles Stuart, who was white, called police from his car phone to say that he and his pregnant wife, Carol, had been shot. Mr Stuart survived a gunshot wound to the chest, but his wife died, as did their premature son 17 days later.

Mr. Stuart told police that a black man wearing a black tracksuit had carjacked them after a childbirth class, forcing the two to drive through Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood “to a deserted area.”

The report led to an intensive manhunt. Within days, Mr. Swanson, then 29 and homeless, was arrested. Police found a black tracksuit in a sink at the Mission Hill apartment where he was taken into custody. Authorities charged Mr. Swanson with burglary but eventually released him because there was no physical evidence linking him to the murder.

Police soon turned their attention to Mr. Bennett, based on sworn statements from teenagers who later said police had coerced them into making such statements. Mr. Bennett, who had a lengthy criminal record, was arrested in connection with an unrelated case and subsequently charged with robbing a video store.

Mr Stuart later identified Mr Bennett from a police lineup.

However, within days it turned out that the story was a lie. Matthew Stuart, Mr Stuart’s youngest brother, told police it had actually been Charles who planned the murder as part of a staged robbery. Matthew admitted to police that he helped dispose of his brother’s gun.

Mr Bennett was acquitted of the murder but was jailed for it 12 years for the video store robberywhich he has said he did not commit.

Charles Stuart later died by suicide, while his brother pleaded guilty to criminal charges, including conspiracy and insurance fraud, and went to prison for three years.

City officials and police came under heavy criticism for their handling of the case, as did the news media, which had promoted the narrative that the wrongly accused suspects were guilty. The Bennett family sued the city of Boston, but were only able to secure $12,500 in settlements.

“There was no evidence that a black man committed this crime,” Ms. Wu said Wednesday, “but that didn’t matter because the story confirmed and exposed the beliefs shared by so many from residents to reporters to officers. and civil servants. At every level and on every occasion, those in power turned a blind eye to the truth because the lie felt familiar.”

Joey Bennett, a cousin of Mr. Bennett, attended Wednesday’s news conference. Willie Bennett did not appear. Now he is 73 weak and has not spoken publicly about the case in years, according to The Globe.

“We just want to express our gratitude to Mayor Wu for the apology,” Joey Bennett said. “Her courage in acknowledging the misconduct of the Boston Police Department and issuing a sincere apology is something we deeply respect and appreciate.

“Your apology is accepted,” he added.

He also acknowledged Mr. Swanson in his comments.

“So he is a friend of the family and we have chosen to have him stand in solidarity with us so that he can get an apology from us,” Mr Bennett said. “Injustice has been done to him. He hasn’t been right since that case.”

Mr. Swanson did not address reporters at the press conference, but later told the Associated Press that while he was “glad this is happening today,” he still faced financial ruin.

“I just need some financial compensation for all the trouble and pain I’m still going through,” he said.