William Mullins-Johnson wrongful conviction : A Death in the Family (2009) - The Fifth Estate

The Fifth Estate
The Fifth Estate
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Published 2017-10-04
A Death in the Family is the story of William Mullins-Johnson, his wrongful first-degree murder conviction, and how that guilty verdict shattered his family. In Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, on June 27, 1993, four-year-old Valin Johnson was found dead in her bed. She had been sick overnight and her family thought she had died after choking on her vomit. Within 12 hours, however, her favorite uncle, Bill Mullins-Johnson, would be arrested for the rape and murder of the little girl. Mullins-Johnson was charged and tried for first-degree murder. A jury found Bill guilty and he was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years. With little hope after two failed court appeals, Mullins-Johnson sent his case to the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted. They agreed to look into it and 11 years to the day after his conviction, Bill was released on bail awaiting a new hearing. Two years later, on October 15, 2007, Bill was acquitted. Crucial pathology evidence given at his original trial was flawed. In A Death in the Family, Bill, his brother and their family share what it's like to be torn apart by suspicion and hatred for more than a decade, and to discover one day that it was all a mistake. For the first time, the family makes public the story of their suffering as victims of the judicial system.

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All Comments (21)
  • @kori4580
    Why does the mother of the victim blame the grandmother for choosing her son over her grandchildren when basically everyone abandoned him except for his mom? That’s what mothers do!
  • @ebe5179
    His mother is an example of what is a great mother.
  • @TonyTana9905
    Bill turning down the 5 year plea deal, is the epitome of having dignity and integrity at the highest cost. Takes a strong person to do that
  • @yeahriight57
    That doctor who said that he does not feel bad at all & still thinks he is right deserves to be sued!
  • @ClownWorldRebel
    The niece Jean, needs a rude awakening. People are wrongly convicted everyday. She is miserable and needs something to hold onto so she can continue to play the victim.
  • @LisaLisa001
    And his mother, you're a remarkable woman. I love you for this. You're a mother. A real mother.
  • @kyahvaughn
    The niece wouldn't have been so mad at her uncle, if the lawyers, pathologists, etc did their job...And her uncle was never convicted? What does that even mean? Innocent people get imprisoned ALL THE TIME. I'm sorry, but is she "slow"?
  • @secullenable
    As a single man with a brother who has a few kids, I don't mind telling you I shed more than a few tears during this. William's dignity, including at the end where he admitted his faults to try and help others, is something we should all aspire to. No amount of compensation can ever repair what this man and his family have been through.
  • @annecave5248
    Valin's sister is so stupid for holding that against her wrongly accussed Uncle. She has to see the evidences and move on so they can all heal. Her Uncle and the whole family has suffered enough for nothing.
  • @frederickbradford8974
    The niece said, " nobody goes to prison for nothing" the world is full of people who went to prison wrongly convicted, and a great deal were executed then found innocent beyond a shadow of doubt, at least he survived his ordeal- many died and that was irreversible.she , the niece needs help!!
  • @Firstthunder
    I literally just prayed his living niece learns quickly that innocent people go to jail everyday. The amount he suffered is unimaginable. Sometimes I think people have to believe the justice system works, or else their entire sense of safety is a lie.
  • @rogerhernandez7024
    His mother really loves him so much, there's nothing like a mother's love for a son no matter what.
  • @cademancaden
    I can't imagine losing my child & thinking someone close to me did it & I can't imagine being convicted of killing someone I love & sitting in jail while my family thinks I did it. This whole story is heartbreaking for everyone.
  • @ianstrange5674
    How bigoted, mean-spirited and thoroughly dimwitted the niece is.😫
  • @Mercurychyld1
    This young girl, the neice/goddaughter that says she would KILL the uncle, EVEN AFTER it’s been proven that HE was a victim and innocent, and says ‘no one goes to jail for no reason’ is sooooooooooo incredibly IGNORANT. It’s both shameful and sad. I pray she comes to her senses one day. And that SHE or any of HER kids are never victims of misinformation and false accusations. What a mess!
  • @candiceblack86
    How broken that dad is brings me to tears. A few women in this seem heartless. Smirking that he hit the bottle, wtf.
  • @suzannerobbins6293
    I was shocked the niece still hates him after she got the facts! How cruel she is to her uncle.
  • @happygirl4490
    He received $4.25 million in 2010. That will never buy his sanity back. :(