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| Ruben "Hurricane" Carter dead at 76 |
Toronto, Canada— He was one
of seven siblings raised in poverty. Ruben
“Hurricane” Carter had a troubled youth filled with police, jail, courts and
prison. He somehow found salvation and
money as a champion boxer until his new life came crashing down.
Carter’s troubled past kept
him on the police radar as a “usual suspect” and he was arrested and twice
convicted for a New Jersey triple murder.
Finally in 1985 after some 20 years in prison Carter finally won his
freedom from the wrongful conviction.
Carter left the nation that
failed him in seeking justice for Canada.
He spent the rest of his life speaking, advocating and investigating on
behalf of Death Row inmates. Carter
created and chaired a foundation for the wrongly convicted.
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| Carter and Willoughby courtesy New Times |
I met and chatted extensively
with Carter in Phoenix when he came there on behalf of former Death Row inmate
Dan Willoughby during his second trial. Willoughby asked me to do his defense investigation but the court appointed rotation list did not allow for that to happen. He had insufficient resources to hire me. Instead I covered the case for TV news.
Dan Willoughby during his second trial. Willoughby asked me to do his defense investigation but the court appointed rotation list did not allow for that to happen. He had insufficient resources to hire me. Instead I covered the case for TV news.
Carter was a friendly and
determined fellow. Just like the actor
that played him in the movie Hurricane, Denzel Washington, Carter was a very sharp
dresser.
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| Dan Willoughby |
Dan Willoughby had a somewhat
sordid adulterous affair with a Mexican transsexual named Yesenia Patino. In 1991, Patino murdered Willoughby’s then
wife Trish in Rocky Point, Mexico.
Arizona authorities felt that
Willoughby was involved in a murder conspiracy that began there and claimed jurisdiction
of the murder that was committed in a foreign land.
Patino said she beat Trish
Willoughby’s head in with a medieval mace and stabbed her with two knives and
strangled her with a rope. Patino was
sent to a Mexican prison for 35 years but was brought to Arizona twice to testify against
Willoughby. Patino first claimed that
Willoughby was present and participated in the murder.
After the first trial Patino recanted, saying
she carried out the murder alone and that led to the second trial.
Even thought the crime
occurred in Mexico where there is no death penalty Willoughby wound up on
Arizona’s Death Row. The resources and
expertise of Mexican police to examine the crime scene was nothing less than what we’d call today,
a CSI nightmare.
Getting an Arizona jury to
believe Willoughby considering his peculiar adultery paramour and issues surrounding his dead
wife’s wealth and a $1 million life insurance policy proved impossible.
The jury viewed Willoughby as
being a philandering, gold digging, perverted and unsympathetic character. He was convicted again at his second
trial. This time Willoughby was spared
the death penalty and re-sentenced to life in Prison.
Carter passed away at age 76 in Toronto. His funeral arrangements are pending.
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