Witnesses hypnotized in 1975, leads to 44 years wrongfully served, attorney says

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Willie Williams’ conviction has been overturned after being wrongfully incarcerated and serving 44 and-a-half years.

Williams was sentenced to life in prison in 1976 for attempted murder and the robbery of two people at Jacksonville grocery store back in 1975.

Relief has been granted to Williams after an investigation by the Conviction Integrity Review that determined key evidence was not disclosed before his trial.

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“In 2020, the Florida Parole Commission granted Willie Williams parole on his 1976 robbery and attempted murder convictions. Williams, claiming he had been misidentified as the offender, subsequently petitioned the State Attorney’s Offices’ Conviction Integrity Review Unit,” said Brady Issue in a statement from the State Attorney’s Office.

Reports state that the CIR accepted Williams’ case for review and during its investigation, the CIR discovered hypnosis had been used to secure the victim’s pretrial identification of Williams, but this fact was not disclosed to Williams or his counsel as required by law.

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“The State concedes this newly discovered evidence entitles Williams to post-conviction relief. Years after Williams’ convictions, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that hypnotically refreshed memory was unreliable and consequently inadmissible as evidence of guilt. As a result, the State will not refile the charges from 1975 against Williams.”

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