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Originally Posted by justins5256
He was never exonerated officially. The governor commuted Branion's sentence to "time served" due to his failing health. He was released to a hospital where he died from a brain tumor.
Dr. Branion's trial began in a Chicago courtroom in May of 1968 - a month after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Racial tensions were at an all time high. There was only one black juror on the panel.
While I think Branion could be innocent of this crime, I find it odd that exactly four shell casings were missing from a box of bullets found in his closet. He was also caught in a lie about his ownership of a specific type of firearm that could fire the 9mm ammo.
It was suggested in the segment that Branion could have hired someone to kill his wife, thus making the whole time table theory irrelevant. Unfortunately, this possibility was not explored more in depth in the segment. It would be interesting to know if the cops checked his bank accounts for a massive withdrawal around the time of his wife's death, although I doubt it would be a clincher.
Also, the failing health issue, and not being able to get the needed heart transplant unless he was cleared on the charges. Seems like a good time to drum up a "final appeal" to get the public behind you in hopes of prolonging your life as much as possible.
Just some things to think about...
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I don't believe Branion killed his wife, although I wouldn't rule out hiring someone to do it. Interestingly, he seems much more upset at being accused of hiring someone than being accused of doing the crime himself.
but the timetable makes me believe it would be virtually impossible for him to have committed the crime himself.
Regarding the 4 bullets missing/his uncertainy of a ownership of a certain gun, I don't necessarily believe that makes him suspicious. It was believed that the people who murdered his wife spent at least a half an hour in the apartment, so they could have had time to search around and find the gun. Plus, while it would seem that the perpetrators would have brought the weapon with them, it appears that they tried to strangle her first, and when that didn't work, they shot her. so I don't think they initially intended to use a gun, but found one anyway and used it.
I don't find his failing health and that it coincides with the timing of the segment suspcious. I think he figured he might die soon, and if he got cleared, he might get the heart transplat, and the guy naturally is going to do everything he can to save himself.