City of Boston 150K Will Go To Black Men Wrongly Accused of Killing White Woman

Two African American men, Alan Swanson and Willie Bennett, who were wrongly accused in the 1989 killing of Carol Stuart, will receive $150,000 from the city of Boston, Massachusetts. The settlement comes decades after their wrongful arrests, a formal apology from the mayor, and years of racial tension tied to the case.

Carol Stuart, a pregnant white woman, was shot in the head after leaving a birthing class with her husband, Charles Stuart. She died the following day. Their baby, delivered by cesarean section, survived for 17 days before passing away. Charles Stuart, who was also shot, told police a Black gunman had attacked them.

The truth surfaced months later when it was revealed that Charles Stuart had orchestrated his wife’s murder. His brother admitted to helping him cover up the crime. As the story unraveled, Stuart jumped to his death from a bridge in 1990. Reports later confirmed that detectives ignored early tips pointing to him as the killer.

In 2023, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu publicly apologized to Swanson and Bennett. “What was done to you was unjust, unfair, racist, and wrong,” she said.

Retired Judge Leslie Earl Harris, who defended Swanson in 1989, said Swanson was severely beaten while in custody and forced into isolation for safety.

“It’s not enough money to change anybody’s life. He was beaten very seriously. I believe he said he had brain damage. You can’t pay for that, the way he was treated, the way the community was treated,” said Harris, who himself received death threats while working on the case.