Our conversation with William Washington and Lizzie Young. Washington has just been released after serving more than 40 years in prison. Young is his mother.
Wayne County has more than 150 juvenile lifers, by far the most in the state. As of today, only one of them – and, in fact, the only person among the more than 360 juvenile lifers in the entire state of Michigan – has been given that second chance.
On June 4, 1975, 17-year-old William Washington and his 26-year-old co-defendant, Kenneth Rucker, robbed a record store. After a scuffle with the store owner, Mr. Rucker took the victim into the back room and shot him to death. This incident led to Washington receiving a life without parole sentence for first degree murder, as well as a second life sentence for armed robbery, for his role as an aider and abettor.
On November 17th of this year – 41 years after he went to prison – William Washington became a free man.
Washington and his mother Lizzie Young joined us in the studio.