A 21-year quest for freedom

A man was sent to death row, accused of the rape and murder of an elderly woman. But Sterling Spann always maintained his innocence. Clover, S.C. was the last place you'd expect a murder. It was the kind of small Southern town where most people didn't even bother to lock their doors. But a lock probably wouldn't have stopped the murderer he seemed to be driven to kill. Police soon made an arrest, convinced they had their man. But the killings didn't stop, and, for more than 20 years, neither did the questions - about whether the right man was in prison. A man named Johnny Hullet stated to police he knew for a fact that Spann had nothing to do with Melva Niell's murder. Johnny Hullet in 1969 had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He had had dreams and nightmares, seeing his grandmothers head roll toward him while he was at work. But that was nothing compared to what Hullet’s own wife said. She said and later testified that her husband had often beaten and sexually assaulted her and their daughter. And that he had worked a produce route that took him right by the houses of the other two elderly murder victims.

Sterling Spann lost his mother and then his sister during the investigation of an innocent man. Sterling took a plea bargin so he could get off death row. I really can't blame him, the catch to that was the state tricked him he was to plea guilty and get parole. He didn't get parole the prosecutor said they had the right man in prison. Case # 62 rejected for his parole hearing, the next hearing rejected as well. On the next try Sterling was parolled. Sterling wants to start a Ministry. He saids be patient, never give up and fight to the end as he stands with with tears in his eyes.