Diversity Club Hosts Virtual Conversation with Inquirer Reporters on Wrongful Conviction Case
In recent weeks, students in every grade watched the film Just Mercy in school as one of the initiatives held in celebration of Black History Month. Just Mercy is the true story of Walter McMillian, who successfully appealed his murder conviction with the help of a young defense attorney.
The themes of the film were explored further in a virtual discussion hosted by the Diversity Club on March 8. Philadelphia Inquirer reporters Emilie Lounsberry and Michaelle Bond led a discussion on the case of Chester Hollman III, a Philadelphia man who was wrongfully imprisoned for 28 years. Their investigative piece on Hollman's case can be read here.
In August 1991, 24-year-old University of Pennsylvania student Tae Jung Ho was robbed and shot to death as he walked with his friend in Philadelphia. Hollman was pulled over by police later that evening, identified as the assailant by one of eight eyewitnesses, and charged with the crime. Ultimately, he was convicted of second-degree murder and robbery and given a life sentence. He spent nearly 30 years of his life wrongfully incarcerated.
From the time of his arrest, Hollman proclaimed his innocence. After his conviction, several appeals were denied. The Pennsylvania Innocence Project took on Chester's case in 2013 and in 2018, asked Philadelphia County District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) to review Chester’s conviction. The CIU reviewed files for the case and that two key witnesses had later recanted their statements and admitted to falsely implicating Chester in the crime; substantial evidence had been withheld from the defense; and police had started to investigate another key suspect immediately after the crime, and then dropped the investigation.
After this new evidence came to light, Hollman was exonerated and released in 2019. Bond and Lounsberry were present at the prison for the emotional moment when Hollman was released.
Bond and Lounsberry spoke about investigating the crime to tell Hollman's story; traveling hours to the prison where Hollman was incarcerated to interview him, as well as interviewing his family and other individuals; and the effect that the wrongful conviction had on Hollman's family. One of the main discussion points was witness testimony and the difficult process of navigating the possibility of whether a witness is lying. They also spoke about ethics in journalism, and their responsibility as news reporters to present facts and not editorialize the story.
Joining Lounsberry and Bond on the panel were senior Regina Princivalle and juniors Carolyn Arnold, Sydney Okeke, and Amilyn Thomas. Mrs. Katie Kennedy, Theology teacher and moderator of the Diversity Club, also attended. The conversation provided an opportunity for the school community to learn more about the criminal justice system and how it intersects with race.
The webinar served as a complement to several courses (Journalism, Forensics, Catholic Social Teaching, Morality, and more) as well as a co-curricular opportunity for students in Mock Trial.
Hollman's case was recently featured in episode seven of the new Netflix series The Innocence Files, "The Prosecution: Wrong Place, Wrong Time."