Morton Case

            Imagine spending nearly 25 years in prison with false accusations pointing to your wife’s murder. The day after a double celebration for Michael Morton’s own birthday and his young son Eric, three at the time, recovering from a heart surgery. In anyone’s eyes they would view this as the picture perfect day for a young family. Yet the very next day all Michael Morton had left would be ripped from his grip with the murder of his wife. Michael was at work when his wife, Christine Morton, was brutally murdered at their Williamson County, Texas home.

At court the prosecutor told the terrifying and emotional story of the young mother’s murder. The jury thought that they were doing Christine Morton justice for such a heinous crime. Instead, the evidence stopped from entering the case blinded them unknowingly. A young Eric Morton had seen the crime unfold. He told the police how his father wasn’t home at the time and described the man who did the killing. Neighbors described a man who had parked behind the Morton’s house who was later seen leaving the scene and disappearing into the woods. There was a bandana found nearby covered in blood which was never tested for DNA until Morton’s endless fighting.

The DNA came back with one name: Mark Norwood. Norwood was a convicted felon who had murdered one other woman in a nearby town two years after Christine’s death.  The prosecutor at the time, Anderson, had to step down from his job as judge because he had withheld major evidence that would prove Michael Morton innocent. Anderson agreed to spend ten days in jail, a fine of 500 dollars and 500 hours of community service. He has yet to admit to any wrongdoing within the case. This new light shed on the Morton’s case has carved a new road for future cases.