Bryan Stevenson's Question on Death Penalty Highlights Systemic Failures in Alexander McClay Williams Case
Bryan Stevenson's question, 'Do we deserve to kill?', is central to a discussion surrounding the 1931 execution of Alexander McClay Williams, a 16-year-old Black boy in Pennsylvania. Williams was convicted of a crime he did not commit, based on coerced confessions and a rushed trial. His defense attorney, William H. Ridley, faced a system that quickly turned Williams into a suspect. The case involved alleged alterations to Williams' death certificate to make him appear older and a lack of proper legal representation during interrogations. In 2022, a Delaware County judge vacated Williams' conviction and death sentence, and the charges were dismissed. Pennsylvania's governor apologized to Williams' family. Williams' two-year-old sister, Susie Carter, now 95, is pursuing accountability for the state's actions. The family is suing the state for reparations, proposing a $500,000 scholarship for legal careers.
