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Black Atlanta Man Wrongfully Imprisoned for Murder After Detective Hid Key Evidence — Now Free, But Corrupt Cop Won’t Face Any Punishment

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Keith Sylvester, a black man from Atlanta, spent greater than a yr in prison for the murders of his mother and stepfather — despite video and cellphone evidence proving his innocence that was intentionally suppressed by the detective investigating the murders.

Now, Sylvester is about to receive $1.5 million in damages following an appeals court decision to overturn his conviction, in accordance with WSB Television.

But it doesn’t appear that the officer investigating the case, Atlanta Police Detective James Barnett, was ever punished for withholding evidence that might have proven that Sylvester never murdered his parents or set their house on fire after strangling them.





Black man wrongly convicted of murdering parents settles for $1.5 million after detective 'willfully lied to state judge or was so reckless with the truth'
Keith Sylvester (left), pictured along with his mother, Deborah Hubbard, spent 14 months in prison for falsely convicting him of murdering his mother and stepfather after Atlanta Police Detective James Barnett (right) ignored evidence that might have exonerated Sylvester. (Photos via Facebook and LinkedIn)

It also doesn’t appear that he could possibly be charged with perjury, which could be an appropriate charge in this kind of case.

“The argument is that a jury could find that Detective Barnett either intentionally lied to a state judge or was so reckless with the truth that he misled the state judge into thinking there was probable cause,” in accordance with the appeals court ruling that overturned his conviction.

Atlanta police arrested one other black man, Cornelius Muckle, for the murders of Deborah and Harry Hubbard after cellphone records showed his phone was at their home before they were murdered and their home was set on fire. Muckle, who had nothing to do with the Hubbards, also tried to sell items stolen from the house at an area pawn shop two days after the murders.

But Barnett claimed Sylvester murdered his parents to get the insurance money. However, Sylvester’s lawyer on the time said he was not even listed as a beneficiary, in accordance with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“His name is nowhere on the insurance policy,” he said.

Zack Greenamyre on the time. “He would have been one of six children and stepchildren who would have been beneficiaries of the policy.”

Sylvester, who helped detectives on the case for nearly six months in hopes of finding the killer, said he was shocked when he was arrested.

“When (the detective) handed me the summons and told me I was arrested for the murder of my parents, I thought it was a ploy on his part to get more information,” Sylvester told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Article from May 2024.

“I thought it was a mistake. They’d figure something out and I’d be out of there soon. I thought I’d be out in a few days.”

Instead, he spent 14 months behind bars on charges of murder, arson and insurance fraud.

Murder

It was June 2nd, 2018, and Sylvester was visiting his mother and stepfather at their Atlanta home, which he did almost on daily basis, in accordance with WBS-TV.

However, in accordance with dashcam footage, cellphone operator footage and security cameras that recorded him at gambling establishments, the person left his home before 9 p.m.

Phone records also show Harry Hubbard called his niece, Nyaira Walton, at 9:30 p.m. Nyaira told detectives her uncle showed no signs of distress throughout the call.

At 3:56 a.m., the Atlanta Fire Department received a report of a house fire. Upon arrival, officers discovered bodies inside with signs of strangulation.

Firefighters also determined that the hearth had been intentionally set “shortly before” the decision was received, which might have prevented Sylvester from setting it, in accordance with the aforementioned evidence, which was never presented at trial. The autopsy also showed that the couple were still alive when the hearth began, because the couple had ash and soot of their tracheae, indicating that they were still respiration when the hearth began.

However, it appears Barnett had no luck finding the actual killer, so he focused his efforts on Sylvester.

According to the appeals court ruling:

Nearly six months had passed because the murders when Barnett arrested Sylvester in December 2018, much to his shock because Sylvester had continually cooperated with police to assist solve the crimes.

This is how Sylwester described the arrest WGRZ in February 2019 after two months in prison:

Barnett spent the following yr attempting to prove his innocence, writing letters to judges, prosecutors and civil rights groups, hoping they might consider his case.

The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office launched an investigation and determined that Muckle was the actual killer.

But prosecutors tried to pin the blame on Google for locking up the unsuitable man, accusing the tech company of taking nine months to answer a request for a search warrant under a geofence that might allow investigators to “cast a wide net, collecting information on all devices located within a specified area,” in accordance with National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

In this manner, they determined that Muckle’s phone had been within the Hubbards’ house shortly before the hearth broke out, and that the Hubbards had been murdered, in accordance with 11 Living news. It was also determined that Muckle attempted to sell items stolen from the house at an area pawn shop two days later.

“The results of this investigation show that the assailant, who was not named in the original police investigation, was in fact inside the home of Deborah and Harry Hubbard 20 minutes prior to the 911 call about the fire that caused their deaths,” District Attorney Paul Howard said in an announcement to 11Alive News on the time.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Politics and Current

Kamala Harris Recognized for Her Spotlight on Race and Reparations During NABJ-WHYY Interview

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Kamala Harris, theGriio.com

In a wide-ranging interview with the National Association of Black Journalists and public radio station WHYY, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke more broadly about race than at some other time since becoming a presidential candidate and then the Democratic Party nominee.

The historic presidential figure (Harris is the primary Black woman and Indian-American to be nominated by a significant party) made her first appearance as vice chairman on the difficulty of reparations and outlined the systemic harms inflicted on Black communities by U.S. history, including African-American slavery and racial oppression.

“We need to tell the truth in a way that leads to solutions,” said Harris, who co-sponsored HR40 when she was a U.S. senator.

While members of the Congressional Black Caucus and advocates have called on President Joe Biden to take executive motion within the absence of three many years of inaction on Capitol Hill, the presidential candidate has signaled she believes it should come through Congress. She cited Congress’s ability to carry hearings and “raise awareness” in regards to the history of slavery and racial discrimination.

However, the vice chairman added: “I am not downplaying the significance of any executive action.”

Referring to her economic plan if she wins the White House in November, Harris said her ideas for creating an “opportunity economy” would aim to “explicitly address the obstacles that exist historically and currently” in areas similar to student loan debt, health care debt, biased home valuations and black maternal mortality.

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris (left) is interviewed by National Association of Black Journalists members Gerren Keith Gaynor (far right), Eugene Daniels (second from right) and Tonya Mosley (third from right) on the WHYY studios in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“I am pleased that Vice President Harris has recognized the important role truth plays in our pursuit of racial healing and transformation,” said Lee. “My legislation to establish a Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation would usher in a moment of truth-telling by educating and informing the public about the historical context of the racial inequities we witness every day.”

But Hunter said that despite Harris’ clear preference for congressional motion on the commission’s creation, such a commission through executive motion “could be a source of legislative policy.” He continued,

Political pundit and radio host Reeta Colbert admitted that Harris “hung around” during her CNN interview and presidential debate with Trump to discuss her racial identity.

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Airlines forces 14-year-old girl off plane due to weight and balance issues, leaving her to fend for herself

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The mother of a teen who was banned from a plane in Canada due to a weight imbalance is outraged at how the incident has put her daughter’s safety in danger.

According to the CBC, 14-year-old Camryn Larkan boarded a Porter Airlines flight home from Toronto to Victoria, British Columbia, on August 30 after visiting family and friends. Once she was seated on the plane, a flight attendant approached her and told her she had to get off the plane.

14-year-old stuck at the airport
14-year-old forced to leave plane due to “weight and balance” issues. (Source: Pexels)

“I was a little disoriented… I thought I was going to go back to my seat. I thought they were just going to take my bags.” – Camryn he said CBC. “As soon as I got off the plane and saw the doors close, that’s when I started, you know, getting really concerned.”

Porter Airlines pulled Camryn from the flight due to a “weight and balance issue.” The airline said agents asked for volunteers, but when nobody got here forward, “passengers were selected based on ticket type.”

After Camryn and several other passengers were asked to leave the plane, a Porter Airlines agent arranged for Camryn to fly to Victoria the subsequent day. Camryn immediately called her father, who got here to pick her up on the airport.

Camryn’s mother expressed her frustration, saying the airline completely mishandled her daughter’s exit from the plane.

“They put my child in immediate danger,” Catherine Larkan said. “It was complete neglect and it shouldn’t happen to any other minor.”

The airline’s policy is that unaccompanied minors are exempt from involuntary disembarkation. The company offers a $100 service plan for children traveling alone. The plan is required for children ages 8 to 11 and optional for children ages 12 to 17.

Camryn’s family didn’t know the service existed, so the airline treated the 14-year-old as an adult.

“At the time, our team was unaware that Camryn was a minor,” a Porter Airlines spokesperson said. “Camryn left the airport quickly and our team had limited ability to discuss options with her.”

Children travelling without an unaccompanied minor plan are considered “independent adults” and are subject to “adult passenger considerations such as weight, balance and unloading situations.”

“They provide a service, saying we know these people are at risk, and they say if you don’t pay for the service, you’re going to be treated like any other adult passenger traveling,” Camryn’s mother said. “It’s just absolutely absurd.”

An airline representative told People magazine that its customer support department is in touch with Camryn’s family and that Porter Airlines is working on solutions to minimize the chance of an incident like this happening again.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Here’s What You Need to Know About Threats in Springfield, Ohio, After False Accusations About Haitian Immigrants

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Haitian immigrants in Springfield Ohio, theGrio.com

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A small Ohio town has been flooded with false bomb threats since last week’s presidential debate, when former President Donald Trump falsely accused Members of Springfield’s Haitian community kidnap and eat cats and dogs.

Trump’s vice presidential candidate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has amplified debunked web rumors about Haitian migrants because the Republican ticket criticizes President Joe Biden’s administration’s immigration policies, which Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, supports. City officials acknowledge that the influx of about 15,000 Haitian migrants is causing problems, but say there is no such thing as a evidence to support the claim that they’re eating people’s pets.

More than 30 bomb threats since last week have targeted schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials, forcing evacuations and closures. Springfield also canceled its annual diversity, arts and culture celebration in response to the threats, and state police on Tuesday distributed in city schools.

Here are some things to know concerning the situation in Springfield:

Who is behind these false threats?

Foreign actors, in particular. That’s according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who said many of the threats got here from abroad. The governor’s office said a criminal investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies found the “vast majority” of the threats were international in origin. Officials didn’t provide further details on how investigators determined they got here from a foreign country, and DeWine didn’t name the country.

What’s happening?

DeWine has sent dozens of Ohio State Highway Patrol members to all 18 city schools, where checks might be conducted twice every day to prevent further disruptions and help parents and students ensure that the buildings are secure. But even with the increased police presence, many parents still didn’t let their children go to school Tuesday.

Meanwhile, security cameras have been placed at strategic locations around the town, and an explosives-sniffing dog has been deployed to Springfield and might be on duty 24 hours a day.

DeWine $2.5 million declared greater than two years to increase support for primary health care. State highway patrol also helps local law enforcement implement traffic laws. DeWine said many Haitians are inexperienced drivers who’re unfamiliar with U.S. traffic laws.

How is the town reacting?

Springfield never wanted to be the focus — not like this.

City officials said Tuesday that misinformation and lies about Haitian immigrants have sown fear and division, disrupted science and price taxpayers money. In an announcement, they implored public figures, community members and media to “move beyond divisive rhetoric and instead work to promote unity, understanding and respect.” The statement didn’t mention Trump or Vance by name.

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said the influx of migrants is straining police, hospitals and schools. He also criticized the federal government, saying the town asked for help months ago. But on Tuesday he urged national leaders to “soften their words and speak the truth.”

Why did so many Haitians move to Springfield?

Work and word of mouth.

Springfield in consequence, industrial jobs were lost and the population dropped significantly late last century. But the town made a concerted effort to attract employers and Haitian immigrants who helped meet the growing demand for employees in its factories and warehouses. Word spread, and Haitians began arriving in larger numbers in the past few years.

Haitians from Springfield and elsewhere have come to the U.S. to escape violence in their home country. Many Haitians are here under a federal program called Temporary Protected Statusallowing them to live and work temporarily in the U.S. because conditions in Haiti are deemed too dangerous for them to return to the island.

What do Haitian immigrants say?

Members of the Haitian community say they were uneasy even before Trump and Vance picked up on the pet-eating lies, as former residents were angered by the brand new arrivals’ impact on jobs, housing and traffic.

“Some of them are talking about living in fear. Some of them are afraid for their lives,” Rose-Thamar Joseph said last week on the Springfield Haitian Community Outreach and Support Center.

On church service on Sunday, Mia Perez said her daughter was evacuated from school twice last week.

“Children at school are asked by other children, ‘What does dog taste like? What does cat taste like?'” Perez said. “She asks, ‘Are we Haitians who eat this stuff? Is it true? What’s going on?'”

“It’s a conversation I wasn’t ready to have with my daughter,” Perez said. “I felt disrespected by our culture.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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