Charner Tidwell

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Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	23
Year Crime:	1899
Year Convicted:	1900
Year Cleared:	1922
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Oklahoma - Federal Case
County or Region of Crime:	Adair
City of Crime:	Stilwell
Result:	Pardoned
Summary of Case:	"Charner Tidwell was 17 when he was wrongly convicted of murdering Jim Brown in 1899 on Indian territory near Stilwell, Oklahoma. Tidwell was convicted primarily based on the eyewitness testimony of Brown's son. The prosecution's theory based on the testimony of Brown's wife was Tidwell was infatuated with Brown's wife and because of his young age he was influenced by her suggestion that they might be able to be together if he disposed of her husband. Tidwell was sentenced on February 5, 1900 to life in prison. After Tidwell had been imprisoned for more than 20 years Brown's wife confessed on her death bed that she lied about Tidwell during his trial, and that her lover (and future husband) murdered Brown so he could marry her. Two of the former Mrs. Brown verified what she stated in her confession. Brown's son then confessed that he had lied under oath when he testified Tidwell killed his father. Based on the new evidence of Tidwell's actual innocence President Warren Harding granted Tidwell a full and unconditional pardon on On March 22, 1922. Tidwell was released after 23 years of wrongful imprisonment. The Office of the U.S. Attorney General had recommended the granting of Tidwell's pardon and his immediate release."
Conviction Caused By:	Perjury by the victim's son.
Innocence Proved By:	"Based on the new evidence of Tidwell's actual innocence President Warren Harding granted Tidwell a full and unconditional pardon on On March 22, 1922. "
Defendant Aided By:	U.S. Congresswoman Alice Mary Robertson (R-OK).
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?	Yes
Age When Imprisoned:	17
Age When Released:	40
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"The Amazing Case of Charner Tidwell, By P.S. Ruckman, Jr., PardonPower.com, March 22, 2010"
Information Location 1:	http://www.pardonpower.com/2010/03/amazing-case-of-charner-tidwell.html
Information Source 2:	"Seek Pardon For Man For Whom Jurist Died, Cherokee County Democrat (Tahlequah, OK), July 18, 1921"
Information Location 2:	http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc90288/m1/3/zoom/print/#zoom=0&lat=3144&lon=2024&layers=BT
Information Source 3:	"Annual Report of the Attorney General of the United States for the Fiscal Year 1922, By the United States Dept of Justice, Charner Tidwell (32-447), p. 433"
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Charner Tidwell

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

23

Year Crime:

1899

Year Convicted:

1900

Year Cleared:

1922

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Oklahoma - Federal Case

County or Region of Crime:

Adair

City of Crime:

Stilwell

Result:

Pardoned

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Perjury by the victim's son.

Innocence Proved By:

"Based on the new evidence of Tidwell's actual innocence President Warren Harding granted Tidwell a full and unconditional pardon on On March 22, 1922. "

Defendant Aided By:

U.S. Congresswoman Alice Mary Robertson (R-OK).

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

17

Age When Released:

40

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"The Amazing Case of Charner Tidwell, By P.S. Ruckman, Jr., PardonPower.com, March 22, 2010"

Information Location 1:

http://www.pardonpower.com/2010/03/amazing-case-of-charner-tidwell.html

Information Source 2:

"Seek Pardon For Man For Whom Jurist Died, Cherokee County Democrat (Tahlequah, OK), July 18, 1921"

Information Location 2:

http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc90288/m1/3/zoom/print/#zoom=0&lat=3144&lon=2024&layers=BT

Information Source 3:

"Annual Report of the Attorney General of the United States for the Fiscal Year 1922, By the United States Dept of Justice, Charner Tidwell (32-447), p. 433"

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Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: