To: Governor Laura Kelly
Free Tyree Conway
Tell Governor Brownback to immediately release Tyree Conway! Tyree has spent the past 13 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit!
Why is this important?
Tyree Conway has spent the past 13 years in prison for a crime which he did not commit. On April 26, 2003, Tyree attended a party with his friends, Maurice Johnson and Michael Anderson. During that party, someone pulled out a gun and opened fire, wounding Anderson and killing Johnson.
Tyree was convicted of first-degree felony murder based solely on testimony provided by two eye witnesses who were both 17-years-old at the time of the shooting. Both witnesses were under the influence of alcohol and psychedelic drugs at the time of the shooting, although this information was withheld from the jury.
Both of these witnesses have since recanted their testimony, stating that the detectives and the prosecutor on the case coerced them into naming Tyree as the shooter. One of those witnesses now states that she was threatened by the prosecutor, who told her that if she refused to name Tyree as the shooter, that she would be charged as an accessory to murder.
Both witnesses have now stated, in writing, that they never saw Tyree with a gun. The state has no physical evidence tying Tyree to any weapon, and the weapon involved in the shooting was not found until nearly a year after Tyree’s first trial, which ended in a hung jury.
The weapon was found when police arrested another man, for a separate and unrelated charge. Tyree was tried again, and, based off of the coerced witness testimony, was convicted and sentenced to a minimum of 20 years.
Police have refused to reopen the case, despite having found the murder weapon in the possession of another man. The window for appeal has closed, due to time limitations, so Tyree can only be freed if the Governor grants him a pardon.
Tyree was convicted of first-degree felony murder based solely on testimony provided by two eye witnesses who were both 17-years-old at the time of the shooting. Both witnesses were under the influence of alcohol and psychedelic drugs at the time of the shooting, although this information was withheld from the jury.
Both of these witnesses have since recanted their testimony, stating that the detectives and the prosecutor on the case coerced them into naming Tyree as the shooter. One of those witnesses now states that she was threatened by the prosecutor, who told her that if she refused to name Tyree as the shooter, that she would be charged as an accessory to murder.
Both witnesses have now stated, in writing, that they never saw Tyree with a gun. The state has no physical evidence tying Tyree to any weapon, and the weapon involved in the shooting was not found until nearly a year after Tyree’s first trial, which ended in a hung jury.
The weapon was found when police arrested another man, for a separate and unrelated charge. Tyree was tried again, and, based off of the coerced witness testimony, was convicted and sentenced to a minimum of 20 years.
Police have refused to reopen the case, despite having found the murder weapon in the possession of another man. The window for appeal has closed, due to time limitations, so Tyree can only be freed if the Governor grants him a pardon.