The New York Times obituary is titled, "Randall Adams, 61, Dies; Freed With Help of Film. It's written by Douglas Martin.
Randall Dale Adams, who spent 12 years in prison before his conviction in the murder of a Dallas police officer was thrown out largely on the basis of evidence uncovered by a filmmaker, died in obscurity in October in Washington Court House, Ohio. He was 61.
Mr. Adams had chosen to live a quiet life divorced from his past, and when he died on Oct. 30, 2010, of a brain tumor, the death was reported only locally, said his lawyer, Randy Schaffer. The death was first widely reported on Friday.
The film that proved so crucial to Mr. Adams was “The Thin Blue Line,” directed by Errol Morris and released in 1988. It told a harrowing story, and it had the effect of helping to bring about Mr. Adams’s release the following year.
“We’re not talking about a cop killer who’s getting out on a technicality,” Mr. Morris said when Mr. Adams was set free. “We’re talking about an unbelievable nightmare.”
And:
In March 1989, the Texas appeals court ruled Mr. Adams was entitled to a new trial because of the perjured testimony. Three weeks later, he was released on his own recognizance, and two days after that the Dallas district attorney dropped all charges.
Mr. Adams lived a peripatetic life afterward, first returning to his native Ohio, then moving to upstate New York, later returning to Texas, in the Houston area, and finally settling again in Ohio. Mr. Schaffer said Mr. Adams gave speeches against the death penalty and married the sister of a man on death row. He did not know if they were still married at his death.
Diane Jennings wrote, "Early Dallas exoneree Randall Dale Adams died in Ohio last year," for the Dallas Morning News.
Mr. Adams was “an ordinary guy caught up in extraordinary circumstances,” said Randy Schaffer of Houston, Mr. Adams’ former attorney. “I’m sure he never bargained for the role he played in American criminal justice.”
Mr. Schaffer said he didn’t hear about Mr. Adams’ passing until several months later, though they usually talked about once a year.
An Adams relative confirmed his death from a brain tumor, Mr. Schaffer said.
“The reason there was no publicity was he had moved to some small town in Ohio where nobody knew who he was, and he liked it that way,” Mr. Schaffer said.
Adams received no compensation from the state. He did receive apologies from Texas lawmakers. He testified at several legislative hearings in Texas, speaking on behalf of reform measures. Related posts are in the exoneration index.
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