MONTGOMERY, Ala. -
A portion of the letter was turned over to Wilson’s new attorney last month after a lengthy legal battle that unfolded over several years as they seek to win him a new trial. The Alabama attorney general’s office argued in court filings that Wilson knew about the letter’s contents since before his trial and that it did not exonerate him since Wilson told investigators he also hit the man and put an extension cord around his neck.
At issue in the case is a 2004 letter allegedly written by one of the three accomplices who said she was the one who began hitting the man with a bat. The writer identifies herself as Catherine Corley. Corley pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison for Walker’s death. Corley, who is still serving her sentence, could not immediately be reached for comment and it was not immediately known if she has a lawyer to speak on her behalf.
“At best, it appears the confession was disclosed to the defense in a manner designed to not attract attention to it, thus to put the defense at a trial and sentencing disadvantage. As the Supreme Court has made clear, Brady’s disclosure obligation is not readily discharged via gamesmanship,” the judge wrote in a footnote in the ruling.