Detroit Man Freed After 20 Years Behind Bars In Girl's Beating Death
DETROIT (WWJ) - A convicted murder is a free man today after 20 years behind bars.
On Friday the Wayne County Prosecutor threw out the conviction against Lamar Monson after new evidence came to light by former WXYZ investigative reporter Bill Proctor.
LaMarr Monson was convicted of the second degree murder in 1997 for the death of 12-year-old runaway Christina Brown, who was beaten to death with a porcelain toilet lid. Monson admitted that he had been selling drugs with the girl in the home where her body was found, but said he had nothing to do with her death. He eventually confessed to killing Brown, although many say his confession was coerced, and was sent to prison.
New evidence came about through Proctor's investigation that points to another man, named Robert Lewis, who is actually responsible for the death of Brown.
"We managed to find a woman who no longer lives in the state of Michigan who happened to be in the crack-infested apartment building that night," Proctor said. "She was using crack-cocaine with a man who essentially came back with his hands dripping in blood and admitting to killing 12-year-old Christina Brown."
Earlier this year, Monson's murder conviction was reversed based evidence presented by the Innocence Project. That new evidence showed Lewis' bloody finger prints on the toilet lid used to beat Brown to death.
Prosecutor Kim Worthy says between problems with the police interview, evidence gathering and the time that has passed she will probably never retry this case. Proctor disagrees with her decision, stating "that's a tragic mistake and once again stepping back from her responsibility."
On January 20, 1996 -- 11 days before his 24th birthday -- Monson emerged as a suspect in Brown's murder. She had also been stabbed, beaten and strangled. According to a report from the Detroit Free Press at the time, Monson had allegedly argued with the young girl, who was selling crack and marijuana with him shortly before her death.
The night Brown was killed, a neighbor told police she heard Monson drive up, then leave in a rush 45 minutes later.
Piling on the evidence, another neighbor told police Monson banged on his door and asked him to call for help because his girlfriend was lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Monson later confessed to killing Brown, who had allegedly convinced people in the neighborhood she was 17.
