#533 Maggie Freleng with Selma Butler

·39 min·3 clips

Selma Butler's request for post-conviction relief was denied, forcing him back to court after 25 years for a murder he didn't commit.

Maggie Freleng introduces an interview with Selma Butler, whose post-conviction relief was denied despite evidence of innocence. Selma grew up in Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes, a project building ruled by the Gangster Disciples. In 1995, Angela Young was found stabbed over 60 times in her apartment. Selma, then 17, was arrested based on coerced testimony from a 14-year-old, Earl Gilmore, who later recanted. Selma describes police brutality during interrogation, including being choked and spit on. He and co-defendant Geno Wilson were tried separately; Geno was acquitted, but Selma's trial lasted 45 minutes with minimal defense. Selma was convicted and sentenced to 50 years. In prison, he reconnected with his father, who became his cellmate and legal mentor. His niece, Linda Butler, maintained a close relationship despite limited visits. In 2013, DNA testing excluded Selma from some evidence but wasn't deemed exonerating. The Bonjean Law Group took his case, uncovering evidence that Gangster Disciples members Maurice Pearson, Ricky Buckley, and Andre Parks were likely the real perpetrators. In 2022, Selma was released after serving 25 years but remains unexonerated. He now works as a mentor and married Jamila in 2022. The episode highlights systemic issues of racism, poverty, and police misconduct.

As heard by us

A denied post-conviction bid, a recantation, and a case that shows how hard it can be to unwind a conviction.

The review keeps Selma Butler's story anchored in a wrongful-conviction frame, following the November 1995 Chicago murder, the 17-year-old who lived three floors below Angela Young, and the post-conviction fight that has since been denied.

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Why you'd press play

Selma Butler gets the kind of legal sequel nobody orders.

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