Texas Monthly Reports on Morton

10.12.12

Texas Monthly Reports on Morton

One year after Michael Morton was released from prison and exonerated of his wife’s murder, the case is still making headlines. The November issue of

Texas Monthly

features the first of a two-part series detailing the Morton’s family life, Christine Morton’s murder, the trial and conviction, and the career of Ken Anderson, the former Williamson County District Attorney whose misconduct while prosecuting the case contributed to Morton’s wrongful conviction.

 

Here’s an excerpt:


His windowless concrete cell, which he shared with another inmate, measured five by nine feet. If he extended his arms, he could touch the walls on either side of him. A small metal locker that was bolted to the wall contained one of the few remnants he still possessed from his previous life: a photograph of Eric when he was three years old, taken shortly before the murder. The boy was standing in the backyard of their house in Austin, playing with a wind sock, grabbing the streamers that fluttered behind it in the breeze. There was a picture too of his late wife, Christine—a candid shot Michael had taken of her years earlier, with her hair pinned up, still wet from a bath. She was looking away from the camera, but she was smiling slightly, her fingers pressed against her mouth. The crime-scene photos were still fresh in Michael’s mind, but if he focused on the snapshot, the horror of those images abated. Christine with damp hair, smiling—this was how he wanted to remember her.

The second half will be published next month with the December issue.

 

Read

Part One

.

 

Read about

Morton’s case

.

Leave a Reply

Thank you for visiting us. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone.

This field is required.
This field is required.
This field is required.