Crown Heights Page #6

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Look, this was 20 years ago.

I lost touch with those guys.

I don't know none of them guys

no more.

What about massup?

Oh.

I haven't seen that guy

since my brother died.

I mean, I saw him

in the street one time.

H- he wouldn't even look at me.

I wouldn't know

where to find him.

He lives in the Bronx.

I know his apartment.

Okay, give me a kiss.

No, no, hoppy stays with me.

I'll pick you up at 3:00, okay?

Okay.

There he go, right there.

Yo, massup.

Who are you?

You not remember me?

Nah.

Me Marvin brother.

You not remember Marvin?

Me can't forget Marvin, man.

Marvin me brethren.

Marvin was the first man me walk

with when me come to New York.

He was the first man I see

get killed in front of me.

If you was there,

why you do nothin'?!

Brethren,

what could I have done, huh?

I live amongst them.

And they'd come after me, too.

You got to remember, man,

back then we were young.

We thought we were men,

but we were just kids.

Why you here, man?

That man Colin

is still in jail.

I got too many problems to be

getting involved with that.

Now, you know he had nothing

to do with it!

Do not come back here!

Briana?

Hello. You've reached Briana

at the right number

but the wrong time.

Hello. You've reached Briana

at the right number

but the wrong time.

Leave a message.

Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two...

Happy new year, 2001!

I wanted to tell you that

I didn't know your brother,

but there were nights

where I would just stay up

thinking about him.

I don't know what I did

to put me here,

but...

I would pray to him

at night, man...

And hope that he was at peace.

Hello. -Yeah,

I'm sorry to call you so late,

but I found something.

Have you ever come across

a witness named Hassan wilton?

No. Who's that?

I found a transcript

from his grand jury testimony

that says

he was with Clarence Lewis

at the time of the shooting.

- So that means he...

- He saw whatever Clarence saw.

That's right.

Nope.

I got no records

for Hassan wilton.

- You sure?

- There's nothing there.

I'm trying to track down

someone you might know.

Brethren.

This is a friend

of Colin Warner's.

Whatever you're

gonna do to me, do it.

I'll go with you, but...

I want you to tell Colin

I'm sorry.

Those cops, they used me.

I'm 15 years old.

I didn't have the brains

to analyze sh*t,

and it f***ed me up, now.

Brethren, brethren...

He's not here to hurt you.

We're gonna get him out.

That man's still in jail?

20 years now.

Can you walk me through

what happened

on April 10, 1980?

Yeah. I was, um...

Hanging around

erasmus high school.

I was with Clarence Lewis

and a couple other kids

from the neighborhood.

...six, seven, eight, nine.

Two up to three, four, five...

Were you close enough

to see where the shot

was fired?

No, we were not.

We were around the corner.

Did the police

ever come to talk to you?

Two weeks after the shooting,

they came to my house.

They gave me, uh...

Orange juice and a candy bar.

Then they showed me a photo

of Colin Warner

and said that he was the one

that shot Marvin Grant.

Then they said we had to go

down to the precinct, but...

We never made it

to the precinct.

The next thing I knew,

i was being questioned

in front of a grand jury.

Do you remember

what you testified to

in front of the grand jury?

I said

what they told me to say.

What does that mean, exactly?

It means I said

that Colin was the shooter.

That I saw him do it.

And, you know,

i never seen Colin.

I- i don't know Colin.

And the way they

was questioning me, like...

Like I was the shooter,

like I did something wrong.

They told me what to say.

So that's what I said.

It's all in there, brethren.

There's no way

anyone could look at this

and deny your innocence now.

We finally have

everything we need.

Listen,

we got to take a picture

for the press real quick.

For who?

I have a media strategy.

Yo, stop looking

like you killed someone.

Hello. New York 1 news.

Yeah,

I have some new information

about a murder case,

and I would like

to speak to a reporter, please.

Thank you.

Uh, let me call you back.

Kings county.

Yes, this is Diane cardwell

from the New York times.

Can you connect me

to the Brooklyn d. A.'S office?

Ten seconds.

Scene center? -Scene center, go.

Four, three, two, one.

Joining us now by phone from

Clinton correctional facility

is Colin Warner.

Now, I understand

you were arrested in 1980.

Once you're convicted,

there's no longer

a presumption of innocence,

if there ever was.

There's a presumption of guilt,

and the state will try to knock

you down until you give up.

- So you have

to have a strong foundation

to stand firm and fight.

I was arrested

when I was 18 years old...

Brooklyn d. A.'S office.

Yeah, Barry paged me.

Bob, uh, we've got an appeal

I want you to investigate.

Colin Warner?

You got to be kidding me.

He's on New York 1 right now.

I've been

wrongfully incarcerated

for over 21 years now.

My life was taken

from me unjustly,

and we're finally able

to prove it.

Now, I understand

you were denied parole.

They won't let me out

unless I express remorse

for a crime

that I did not commit.

And I'm not willing to do that.

So I remain in prison.

"In the spring of 1980,

"Leon Grant's brother

was murdered in the flatbush

"section of Brooklyn.

Years later,

"Grant now says he helped put

an innocent man in jail.

"Mr. Warner's codefendant,

Anthony Gibson,

"has also come forward

with the startling admission

"that he acted alone.

The Brooklyn d. A.'S office

is reviewing the case. "

You had your blood

pressure taken before, right?

- Yeah.

- Yeah. Same thing.

Now, you know,

if you lie to me,

your buddy's gonna stay

in prison.

You understand?

Okay.

Were you with Clarence Lewis

at the time of the shooting?

Yes.

Did you see the shooting

take place?

No, we were, uh,

several blocks away.

Let me ask this another way.

Is there any way that

Clarence Lewis could have

witnessed the shooting?

Hello.

We've been called back

to the court tomorrow.

I thought we were set for may.

We were.

The court is in session.

Please rise.

Counsel is present.

Go ahead, Mr. snyder.

Your honor,

based on our findings,

the people join in application

with the defense

to dismiss the indictment

and vacate the conviction

of Colin Warner.

Thank you.

After 21 years in prison

for a crime he did not commit,

Colin Warner

will now be a free man.

There's some things

we might not be able

to correct in life, but as far

as leaving an innocent man

in jail,

we can't let that stand.

This never

should have happened.

If Colin Warner

had lived in Texas

or Florida or Louisiana,

he would have been executed

long ago.

Congratulations, dread.

Just saw the news.

Peace be, brethren.

Sign here.

I knew it.

I love you so much.

Please don't let it be a cell.

Daddy, wake up.

I'm not angry at nobody.

Everybody has a burden to bear.

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