Ghostface Killah on Grant Williams’ exoneration: “When he left, part of me left”
The rapper celebrated the Wu-Tang associate after spending 23 years in jail
Ghostface Killah spoke about Wu-Tang Clan associate Grant Williams’ release from jail after 23 years, where he was thought to be wrongfully imprisoned.
Williams, who was serving a life sentence, had his case overturned on Thursday. Jailed in 1997 for the murder of Shdell Lewis, the Wu-Tang associate has been dismissed from the case after Staten Island police took notice of the wrongful conviction.
Staten Island District Attorney Michael E. McMahon found new evidence which pointed to William’s innocence, claiming they had “uncovered new evidence showing Mr. Grant Williams could not have committed the murder a Staten Island jury convicted him of carrying out in 1997.”
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The reinvestigation was carried out by the Conviction Integrity Review Unit, but was overturned at court after a four-hour hearing. Williams has been released from prison on parole since 2019.
Several witnesses came forward, including a friend of Shdell Lewis who had been with him the night before his murder, stating that Williams could not have been the killer.
Wu Tang’s Ghostface Killah was a close friend of Grant Williams, who worked previously in their studio and was wearing a Wu-Tang Clan hat and jacket on the night of the murder. The police used this information against the rap group.
He spoke about Wiliams after the news of his exoneration: “I missed him. When he left, part of me left,” he said, saying it felt “like a ton of bricks being lifted.”
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McMahon went on to discuss that given the “overwhelming amount” of evidence, the police “now believe Mr. Williams to actually be innocent and conclude that our justice system failed him.” He said, “accordingly, we are consenting to the vacating of his conviction and the dismissal of the case.”
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter
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