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It’s been more than 30 years since Michael Jordan was forced to endure a traumatic tragedy after his father was murdered, but one of the men convicted of the crime could end up being freed after gaining the support of the judge who oversaw his trial.
In 1996, Michael Jordan won his fourth championship as a member of the Chicago Bulls after the team topped the SuperSonics on Father’s Day. However, it was a bittersweet victory for His Airness, as it marked the first time his dad James wasn’t there to watch him secure a title.
James Jordan obviously played an instrumental role in Michael’s upbringing, and M.J. did what he could to pay him back after making it to the NBA.
That includes the purchase of the red Lexus James was driving when he pulled over to get some rest in North Carolina after a day of golf on July 23, 1993, which attracted the attention of two 18-year-olds who shot him to death and stole the car (along with NBA memorabilia including All-Star Game and championship rings) before dumping his body in a swamp over the border in South Carolina.
The culprits—Larry Demery and Daniel Green—were arrested around three weeks after the crime was committed and were each sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty in a case where the former landed a plea deal after asserting his coconspirator was the person who ultimately pulled the trigger.
Demery was initially granted parole in 2020 before it was revoked the following year, and Green (who declined to testify at the trial but has spent decades proclaiming his innocence) is currently lobbying for an early release—and he has a very notable ally in his corner.
According to ABC News, Gregory Weeks, the retired judge who oversaw the trial, recently submitted an affidavit to the North Carolina parole commission in which he voiced his support for Green’s release due to his belief a witness for the prosecution withheld evidence that could have changed the outcome of the trial.
Weeks pointed the finger at a forensic blood analyst who linked Green to the crime due to the analysis of a “blood-like substance” in the car but declined to disclose other tests that were run that came back as “negative or inconclusive,” which does seem like something a jury should have been allowed to take into consideration.
Green (who has admitted to helping Demery dispose of the body but denies any direct involvement in the murder itself) will likely learn his fate within the next month.