Just Mercy

Walter McMillian is a man wrongly convicted of murdering a white woman. He languishes on death row for years before the hard work of Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative frees him. After gaining his freedom, he travels the country speaking of his experience before tragically succumbing to trauma-induced dementia and dying in 2013. Stevenson, who spent many hours with Walter both during his imprisonment and after, describes him as a “kind, decent man with a generous nature” (103). He is, of course, not without his faults. His involvement in the murder trial stemmed from his affair with a younger white woman. He cheated on his ever-faithful wife and drank too much. And yet, for any bad decisions he has made, Stevenson and his family all believe Walter to be a person who consistently tries “to do the right thing” (104).

Walter is shown to be introspective and contemplative, and Stevenson acknowledges that his time in prison may have contributed to this. Without much to do, Walter escapes into his thoughts. He is concerned for the well-being of others, particularly his fellow death rows inmates. Each execution he witnesses makes him deeply sorrowful and physically ill. When he is finally freed from prison, he is anguished at having to leave the friends he has made. Even in his moment of greatest triumph, he is still thinking of those left behind.

After he is released, Walter channels his energy into remaking his life. He speaks at many events and to Stevenson’s law students, something Stevenson is grateful for. Stevenson notes what a tremendous effect Walter’s “personality, presence, and witness” (249) has on the students. When he speaks to groups, Walter is clear to state that he is not “angry or bitter” (249) about his experiences, something which displays great strength of character and an almost inhuman capacity for forgiveness, given the wrongs Walter has experienced. This is something that Stevenson remarks upon at Walter’s funeral—his mercy. “Walter’s strength, resistance, and perseverance were a triumph worth celebrating,” Stevenson writes, “an accomplishment to be remembered” (313).

Ralph Myers is the chief witness against Walter in his first trial and the chief witness for Walter in the hearing to overturn Walter’s conviction. Stevenson first describes Ralph as a “white man with a badly disfigured face and a lengthy criminal record” (31). Ralph has endured terrible hardships in his life, including a childhood in foster care in which he was terribly burned in an accident. He has emerged “emotional and frail,” a “tragic outcast” who “craved attention,” (31) which makes him an easily manipulated witness for the prosecution. He is coerced, bullied, and threatened into falsely implicating Walter in the murders. Ralph is not without a conscience and frequently tries to recant his false statements. For this, he is placed on death row, transported to mental facilities, and further threatened by Sherriff Tate and others. Ultimately, Ralph manages to redeem himself. Of his own volition, he contacts Stevenson and offers to speak on Walter’s behalf. He is Stevenson’s star witness at the hearing. He is “direct and persuasive” and his testimony is key in getting Walter freed.