The Innocent Man by John Grisham | Teen Ink

The Innocent Man by John Grisham

February 9, 2009
By Catherine Turano BRONZE, Plano, Texas
Catherine Turano BRONZE, Plano, Texas
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

The year was 1982. This was the year that changed Ron Williamson's life forever. This was the year that Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered. How are the two connected? Well, Williamson is accused of the murder of Carter and spends the majority of his life behind bars because of it.

Williamson was subjected to many polygraph tests. There were also multiple confessions recorded in which Ron Williamson 'confessed' that he did the crime. The police and detectives of Oklahoma used questionable interrogation techniques to get Williamson to say things that he didn't do. But, the twist is that there wasn't any true, physical evidence to prove that Williamson had anything to do with the crime. The entire book makes the reader wonder why such an innocent man is totally misunderstood. He was wrongly convicted and treated unfairly by the police during the whole investigation and trial.

This book is an intriguing, true story that has opened my eyes to the injustices in the world. I now have a little bit of perspective on how poorly Williamson was treated, but surely not enough to feel the pain he went through. His pain and suffering are things that I cannot even imagine experiencing.
The research regarding the story conducted by the author, John Grisham, was very impressive. The interviews with relatives and friends of Williamson were insightful and his research of the specifics of the case demonstrates a lengthy process. But, his time was not put to waste. Every detail stated in The Innocent Man helped build suspense and create vivid pictures in the reader's mind.
This book is well written and draws the reader into the story as if he or she were one of its participants. Everyone who has the chance to read this book should do so. It provides an incredible insight into both sides of the judicial system. The majority of the time we get to see the good side of it and not the bad. Unfortunately for Ron Williamson, he got to experience the bad side of the system. He truly was an innocent man.


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