70 years after his execution, Tommy Lee Walker was declared innocent by the Dallas County Commissioners Court. Walker had been convicted in 1954 for the rape and murder of Venice Parker, a white woman killed near Dallas Love Field Airport in 1953. The court called his conviction and execution “profound miscarriages of justice.” Walker was 19 years old at the time he was charged. During the trial, the prosecution presented as its main evidence a confession that he later recanted, while 10 witnesses, including his girlfriend, corroborated his alibi: he was witnessing the birth of his child the night of the crime. A conviction based on racial bias. According to the Innocence Project, police began questioning hundreds of African American men after Parker's murder due to a lack of concrete evidence. Walker's alleged identification by a police officer and the confession obtained under duress were the only elements that led to his death sentence in the electric chair. The court that reviewed the case stated: “The only direct evidence linking Tommy Lee Walker to this crime is a confession obtained through the use of coercive tactics.” During the sentencing hearing, Walker expressed his frustration at the injustice of his case, noting that while other people had been released after being convicted of crimes they did commit, he was innocent and did not expect to be freed. Reconnection between families after generations. The exoneration allowed for a historic meeting between the families of the victim and the convicted man. Joseph Parker, son of Venice Parker, and Edward Smith, son of Walker, embraced and met for the first time. The Dallas District Attorney's Office, headed by John Creuzot, released photos of the emotional moment. Creuzot emphasized that, even though decades have passed, injustices must be righted: “Justice does not expire with time.“

Case Review and Organizational Collaboration

Walker’s case was reviewed following an investigation by journalist Mary Mapes for D Magazine, which prompted local leaders to re-examine the file. The final resolution was developed with the participation of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Criminal Integrity Unit, the Innocence Project, and the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project at Northeastern Law School.

The court’s official statement acknowledged the harm done to Walker, his family, and the community, and underscored the importance of reviewing wrongful convictions, no matter how much time has passed.