Whether we like it or not, the words of white people are powerful. Just look at Carol Stuart, a Boston-area woman who was fatally shot in 1989.
During the investigation of Stuart’s murder, her husband, Charles Stuart, claimed that a Black man attempted to steal their car and, in the process, shot both his wife and himself, according to NBC Boston. The incident led to a city-wide hunt for the suspect.
The case received local and nationwide media attention, making Beantown the center of race relations in 1989.
Local police initially arrested Alan Swanson, claiming that he matched the description that Charles gave. But they later came to the conclusion he wasn’t the man they were looking for. Weeks later, they arrested Willie Bennett and were convinced that he was their suspect after Charles identified him as the shooter in a police lineup.
Turns out it was all a lie. Charles’ brother, Matthew eventually confessed to police that the story of Carol’s murder was a lie and that his brother killed his wife in a scheme to collect her life insurance payout. Matthew confessed to covering up the murder.
Shortly after, Charles took his own life.
Nearly 34 years later, Boston is finally going out of its way to apologize to the two Black men who were wrongfully arrested for a crime they didn’t commit.
In a statement, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said, “This dark time in the city’s history exacerbated distrust between Boston’s Black community and the Boston Police Department. Acknowledging this painful moment and apologizing for the city’s wrongdoing is an effort to aid in the healing of those still living with this trauma and our city as a whole.”
Wu will make the formal apology during a Wednesday press conference, according to NBC Boston.
The story of Carol’s Stuart murder is at the top of the city’s mind due to the new HBO documentary, “Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning,” which explores the incident and the resulting racial tension in the city.