Debra Jean Milke is a German-American woman who spent over 25 years in prison in the state of Arizona
After 25 long years of wrongful imprisonment, the story of Debra Jean Milke—a German-American woman who was wrongfully convicted for the murder of her four-year-old son—has finally reached a resolution. Last month, an appeals court panel in Arizona tossed out her conviction and death penalty sentence, setting her free and bringing closure to a 25-year-long saga.
In 1989, Milke was accused of having someone kill her son in order to collect a life-insurance policy. She was found guilty and sentenced to death by a jury in 1990; however, over the years doubts began to emerge about her guilt. Questions arose about the tactics of Phoenix Police detective Armando Saldate who claimed he had a confession from Milke but failed to record it, as well as the credibility of another witness against Milke. The case seemed to be predicated on faulty evidence, yet she remained behind bars for more than two decades.
Now, however, Milke can at last walk out of prison a free woman. Thanks to the efforts of volunteer attorneys from the Arizona Justice Project, who argued that there had not been enough evidence against her, the appeals court acquitted Milke on all charges with no possibility for retrial.
It is unfortunate that Milke spent over 25 years of her life behind bars for something she didn’t do. Her case is an example of how the criminal justice system can fail an innocent person—a sobering reminder of why reforms are needed in our legal system to prevent such miscarriages of justice from happening again. Although justice has now been served in this case, countless others struggle in prisons around the world despite being innocent; Debra Jean Milke’s release should be a wake up call to do more to protect those unjustly imprisoned.
Debra Jean Milke, a German-American woman, recently made headlines when she was released from jail after 25 years of wrongful imprisonment in the state of Arizona. Milke, an innocent woman wrongfully convicted for murder and sentenced to death, spent more than two decades behind bars for a crime she did not commit—a tragic miscarriage of justice.
The story of Debra Jean Milke began a quarter-century ago, when she was accused of the December 1989 murder of her four-year-old son, Christopher. At the time, she was living in Tucson, Arizona with her then boyfriend and the child’s father, Jim Styers. Christopher was found shot twice in the head near his home in Phoenix.
Despite overwhelming evidence suggesting Milke’s innocence—including Styers’ confession to the crime and alibi evidence confirming Milke had been miles away at the time—Milke was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in November 1990. She spent many years on death row in Arizona until 2012, when a federal judge overturned her conviction based on persuasive claims that prosecutors had withheld crucial evidence at trial.
Since Milke’s exoneration, it has come to light that her original convictions hinged largely on the testimony of Detective Armando Saldate Jr., who failed to record his interviews with Milke or get it signed by her—in direct violation of police procedure. Furthermore, Saldate withheld evidence in court that would have suggested that Milke had not been present when her son was killed. In light of this information, it is no wonder that her conviction was overturned by the federal judge in 2012.
Debra Jean Milke’s sad story serves as a reminder of why we must remain vigilant and ensure that our justice system is working properly. After 25 years behind bars for a crime she clearly did not commit, it is encouraging to see that she is finally being granted the justice she deserved from day one.