Maxine Willis, whose son is behind bars, has worked to prove the fire that killed Detroit Firefighter Walter Harris was accidental.
Source firehouse.com News
For 14 years, a Detroit mother has been fighting for her son’s innocence regarding a house fire that claimed the life of a beloved firefighter.
Mario Willis, convicted of second-degree murder for hiring someone to start the fire where Detroit Firefighter Walter Harris died, is behind bars serving a 30-year sentence.
Maxine Willis, who has been working non-stop to prove her son’s innocence, was joined by Bill Proctor, founder of Seeking Justice, according to WDIV.
In addition, Willis’ new attorney Craig Daly and an investigative reporter with the Metro Times also uncovered several issues that jurors were never told which they believe would have proven the fire was accidental.
Following their deep dive, it’s now in the hands of the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit.
“The jury didn’t hear the whole thing. The jury never understood that this was an accident because they had so many people in government telling them ‘No, this was a conspiracy.’ They lied. They manipulated the truth. They sent two innocent men to prison. This should not be,” Proctor told a reporter.
Records show Darian Dove, a handyman, was in an empty house, owned by Willis, to rendezvous with a woman. He started a fire with a little gasoline for them to keep warm, but he says the fire got too close to the gas can. He called 9-1-1.
Detroit firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze when a ceiling collapsed, killing Harris, a 17-year veteran. The department chaplain was the father of six children, reports indicated.
Dove has reportedly admitted he was pressured to change his story, to say it wasn’t an accident and that Willis paid him to start it.
Proctor, a longtime investigative journalist, who founded Seeking Justice, and advocacy organization for wrongfully convicted people has been working on the case as well.
The jury was told the burn pattern suggested arson, but a later forensic study supported the accident theory, he said.
While prosecutors suggested to the jury that this was a case of insurance fraud, they weren’t told that Willis didn’t have any insurance on the house that burned.
“I think it’s criminal here that someone with a badge, someone with authority, convinced someone to lie,” Proctor said.