Seaford man seeks clemency in decades- old conviction
Conviction vs Clemency
DELAWARE- After serving over 20 years behind bars for first degree murder, Hayward Evans continues to maintain his innocence and wants the state of Delaware to pay attention. He claims another man was responsible for the crime, and the State did not handle his case the right way.
Conviction
In 2001, then-14-year-old Hayward Evans was arrested, tried, and convicted for the first-degree murder of Brian Owens, and two counts of 1st degree attempted murder of 2 minors, Parker and Cannon. But today, Evans’ family has a literal book of signatures, from people calling for his release.
Evans’ father, Hayward L. Murray says he mourns for the child that was lost, but says the system failed his son. “It’s hard. Not being able to wrap your arms around him Not being able to have him walk through our home doors, to not visit his brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews and missing out of a lot, and it hurts… For a 14-year-old child to sit in Stevenson for 2 years and then get tried as an adult when he turned 16. I had to sit through, he had to sit through, his mom had to sit through that whole entire trial not being able to say anything and I felt weak.”
Community
Evans was convicted on circumstantial evidence implicating his as the shooter in a drive by. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole or probation.
Dover City Councilman, 4th district, Dr. Roy Sudler Jr. also signed the petition and says he speaks for the people. “I believe that Governor Carney will do the right thing, if he hasn’t already. And maybe there are just some disparities or discrepancies that need to be ironed out. But I urge him to, at the very least, bring clarity in regard to why the release is taking so long”
Councilman Sudler Jr. goes on to say, “This is most important and very imperative that’s we show that the justice system is not just for certain people, that is for all of us.”
Commitment
Delaware Governor John Carney’s office did not respond to WMDT’s request for comment, but Family and friends of Evans marched up the steps of Legislative Hall to submit those signatures. Monte Murray says he will continue to fight for his big brother until justice is served. “Not having him here, and seeing him behind these walls, like it affected everybody in a different way, all of us.”
Clemency
The petition for Hayward Evans clemency has almost 300 signatures from his community, and his family plans to submit the petition to governor-elect Matt Meyer as well. If you would like to sign the petition, click here to sign.
