Boston Mayor Apologizes to Black Men Wrongly Accused in 1989 Murder Case
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu issued a formal apology on Wednesday to two Black men who were wrongly accused in a 1989 murder of a white woman. The case of Carol Stuart, who was killed by her husband Charles Stuart in a shocking crime that divided the city along racial lines, renewed mistrust and anger towards the police department by the Black community.
The mayor expressed her regret during a news conference, saying, “I am so sorry for what you endured. I am so sorry for the pain that you have carried for so many years.” Alan Swanson and Willie Bennett were wrongfully implicated in the murder of Carol Stuart, whose husband had orchestrated her killing.
Charles Stuart had claimed that an unidentified Black gunman committed the murder, leading to a police crackdown in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Boston. Stuart alleged that the gunman had forced his way into their car and ordered them to drive to the city’s Mission Hill neighborhood, where he robbed and shot the couple.
Despite widespread suspicion and a “stop and frisk” crackdown of Black men, some investigators had doubts about Stuart’s story. During the crackdown, Alan Swanson was first arrested and later ruled out, and Willie Bennett was taken into custody. Stuart later identified Bennett as the gunman, but as his story began to fall apart, it was revealed that Stuart’s brother had helped him hide the gun.
Wu publicly denounced the injustice and racism in the case, acknowledging the pain caused to Swanson and Bennett. Wu’s apology was welcomed by Willie Bennett’s nephew Joey Bennett, who said, “We are truly humbled to finally be receiving this apology.”
Charles Stuart’s guilt was ultimately confirmed when he jumped to his death from the Tobin Bridge on January 4, 1990. The case has since been revisited by The Boston Globe and an HBO documentary series, bringing renewed attention to the events of 1989.