Boston Mayor Apologizes to Two Black Men Wrongly Linked to Stewart Murder in 1989

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu decided on Tuesday afternoon to apologize to two Black men who were wrongly linked to the murder of Carol Stuart in 1989, a crime that shook Boston and widened the gap between the police department and the Black community in the city.

Key Facts

In a statement released Tuesday evening, Wu described the crime as a “dark period in the city’s history” and that it “increased distrust between Boston’s Black community and the Boston Police Department.”

Main Background

Carol Stuart was killed on the night of October 23, 1989, while sitting in the front seat of the couple’s Toyota Cressida in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, an area characterized by high-rise medical facilities, multiple universities, and increasing values of multi-story houses. Her husband called the police at 8:43 PM that night, stating that he and his wife were mugged by a Black assailant, who shot Carol and Charles, with Carol being hit in the head. Carol was transported to a nearby hospital, where her newborn son was delivered by cesarean section. Carol died a few hours later, and her son passed away weeks later due to breathing problems. The crime caused an outcry in the city, with then-Mayor Ray Flynn giving a speech calling for “the use of every available investigator” to work on the case. In the aftermath, 15-year-old Joey Bennett claimed that his uncle Bennett was responsible for the incident, although he later retracted his accusation against his uncle, according to reports. In November 1989, Boston police arrested Bennett and Swanson, charging them with involvement in the crime. Swanson was released after three weeks. In January 1990, Charles Stuart’s brother told police that Charles was involved in the crime. A few hours later, Charles Stuart committed suicide by jumping from the Tobin Bridge in Boston.

Key Quote

“Acknowledging this painful moment and apologizing for the injustices the city committed is an attempt to help heal those who still live with this trauma and our entire city,” Wu wrote in her statement on Tuesday evening.

For more information, please read the original article here.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/12/19/boston-mayor-wu-apologizing-to-2-black-men-wrongly-linked-to-1989-stuart-murder/