Boston Mayor Apologizes to Black Men Wrongly Accused in 1989 Murder

The apology follows renewed scrutiny of the case, which exacerbated racial tensions in the city and led to a police crackdown in one of Boston's predominantly Black neighborhoods.

Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston has formally apologized to Alan Swanson and Willie Bennett, two Black men who were wrongly accused in the 1989 murder of Carol Stuart, a case that exacerbated racial tensions in the city.
Charles Stuart, Carol's husband, had orchestrated her killing and falsely blamed it on an unidentified Black man, leading to a police crackdown in one of the city's predominantly Black neighborhoods.
Alan Swanson was the first man to be publicly linked to the murder and was arrested five days after the shooting, but was later released due to lack of physical evidence.
Police then turned their focus to Willie Bennett, based on dubious testimony from two teenagers who later claimed the police had coerced them into giving such statements.
Charles Stuart committed suicide in January 1990, shortly after his brother Matthew confessed to helping him hide the gun used to murder Carol.