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2h ago

Boston Pays $150,000 to Men Falsely Linked to 1989 Carol Stuart Murder

The payments follow Mayor Michelle Wu’s 2023 public apology over the city’s actions in a case built on Charles Stuart’s fabricated claim.

Boston, MA- Joey Bennett, nephew of Willie Bennett, (R) and Alan Swanson after the ceremony as the Mayor apologizes to the families of the Bennetts and Alan Swanson, who were accused in the Charles Stuart murder case on Dec. 20.
Willie Bennett's family spoke together for the first time after the city of Boston officially apologized to him for a wrong decades earlier.
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Overview

  • A spokesperson for Mayor Michelle Wu’s office confirmed Tuesday that Willie Bennett received $100,000 and Alan Swanson received $50,000.
  • The Boston Herald first reported the settlement, and the city has released few details about its terms.
  • Charles Stuart killed his pregnant wife in 1989 and falsely blamed a Black assailant, prompting an aggressive police sweep of Black neighborhoods including Mission Hill.
  • Bennett and Swanson were publicly identified after unrelated arrests and interrogations, and neither was charged in the murder.
  • An extensive Boston Globe investigation and an HBO documentary helped revive scrutiny that preceded Wu’s formal public apology in December 2023.