Samuel Greason

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Charge:	First Degree Murder
Sentence:	Death
Years Imprisoned:	5
Year Crime:
Year Convicted:	1901
Year Cleared:	1906
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Pennsylvania
County or Region of Crime:	Berks
City of Crime:	Stouchsburg
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Samuel Greason was wrongly convicted in 1901 in Berks County, Pennsylvania of murdering his white lover's husband based on her testimony, and her confession to helping commit the crime. Greason, a black man, and his lover Kate Edwards were sentenced to death. While imprisoned Edwards gave birth to a daughter of mixed race that was fathered by Greason prior to the murder. Edwards' daughter Alma was allowed to live with her mother in her cell until she was 3-1-2 years old when in late December 1904 Pennsylvania Governor Pennypacker announced she and Greason would be hung on February 16, 1905. Edwards recanted her testimony against Greason in early February 1905, admitting that she alone murdered her husband. Based on Edwards' admission on February 15, 1905 Pennsylvania's Board of Pardons stayed the execution of Greason and Edwards scheduled for the next day. The new evidence led to Greason's exoneration and release in 1906 after five years on Pennsylvania's death row. Kate Edwards remained on death row as four governors declined to set a new execution date for her until she was pardoned by Governor William P. Sproul (1919-1923)."
Conviction Caused By:	"Perjurious eyewitness testimony of the victim's wife, who admitted to aiding in the murder."
Innocence Proved By:	"Kate Edwards recanted her testimony against Greason in 1905, admitting that she alone murdered her husband. The new evidence led to Greason's exoneration and release in 1906 after five years on Pennsylvania's death row."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?	Yes
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"“In Spite of Innocence: Erroneous Convictions in Capital Cases,” Michael L Radelet, Hugo Adam Bedau, and Constance E. Putnam, Northeastern University Press, Boston, 1996 pb ed. with new forward, 308 (Copyright 1992)"
Information Location 1:
Information Source 2:	"Negro And White Woman Must Hang, By Staff Writers, Town and Country Newspaper (Pennsburg, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania), December 31, 1904"
Information Location 2:
Information Source 3:	"Woman Doomed Exonerates Man, By Associated Press, Los Angeles Herald, February 10, 1905 (Vol. 32, Number 132)"
Information Location 3:	http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=LAH19050210.2.12
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Samuel Greason

Charge:

First Degree Murder

Sentence:

Death

Years Imprisoned:

5

Year Crime:

Year Convicted:

1901

Year Cleared:

1906

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Pennsylvania

County or Region of Crime:

Berks

City of Crime:

Stouchsburg

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"Perjurious eyewitness testimony of the victim's wife, who admitted to aiding in the murder."

Innocence Proved By:

"Kate Edwards recanted her testimony against Greason in 1905, admitting that she alone murdered her husband. The new evidence led to Greason's exoneration and release in 1906 after five years on Pennsylvania's death row."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"“In Spite of Innocence: Erroneous Convictions in Capital Cases,” Michael L Radelet, Hugo Adam Bedau, and Constance E. Putnam, Northeastern University Press, Boston, 1996 pb ed. with new forward, 308 (Copyright 1992)"

Information Location 1:

Information Source 2:

"Negro And White Woman Must Hang, By Staff Writers, Town and Country Newspaper (Pennsburg, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania), December 31, 1904"

Information Location 2:

Information Source 3:

"Woman Doomed Exonerates Man, By Associated Press, Los Angeles Herald, February 10, 1905 (Vol. 32, Number 132)"

Information Location 3:

http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=LAH19050210.2.12

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

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Book About Case:

Book Information:

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