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| How Golf Digest and College Students Helped Free a Man Convicted of Murder | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| There were dozens of witnesses when a gunfight broke out on a street corner in Buffalo on Aug. 10, 1991. At least three people were injured, and Torriano Jackson, 17, was killed. | There were dozens of witnesses when a gunfight broke out on a street corner in Buffalo on Aug. 10, 1991. At least three people were injured, and Torriano Jackson, 17, was killed. |
| Valentino Dixon, then 21, was at the scene. Hours later, he was arrested. And in 1992, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to almost 40 years to life in prison, with no chance of parole until 2030. | Valentino Dixon, then 21, was at the scene. Hours later, he was arrested. And in 1992, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to almost 40 years to life in prison, with no chance of parole until 2030. |
| For years, Mr. Dixon fought that conviction from behind bars, insisting on his innocence. No physical evidence had ever connected him to the murder, and another man had confessed to it more than once. | For years, Mr. Dixon fought that conviction from behind bars, insisting on his innocence. No physical evidence had ever connected him to the murder, and another man had confessed to it more than once. |
| After nearly three decades and a couple of unusual twists — including a Golf Digest profile that featured his detailed drawings of golf courses — his murder conviction was vacated on Wednesday, and Mr. Dixon, 48, walked free. | |
| “I felt like I was in some type of dream,” he said in a phone interview from a Red Lobster restaurant, where he was surrounded by friends, relatives and lawyers, and about to eat lobster for the first time. | “I felt like I was in some type of dream,” he said in a phone interview from a Red Lobster restaurant, where he was surrounded by friends, relatives and lawyers, and about to eat lobster for the first time. |
| As he struggled to get his conviction overturned, Mr. Dixon got help from a varied cast of characters. They included journalists at Golf Digest, a new district attorney in Erie County, witnesses whose accounts were never presented at trial, a dogged team of undergraduate students at Georgetown University, and one man who had direct experience with long incarcerations: Martin Tankleff, who was imprisoned for 17 years after being wrongly convicted of murdering his parents and was released in 2007. | As he struggled to get his conviction overturned, Mr. Dixon got help from a varied cast of characters. They included journalists at Golf Digest, a new district attorney in Erie County, witnesses whose accounts were never presented at trial, a dogged team of undergraduate students at Georgetown University, and one man who had direct experience with long incarcerations: Martin Tankleff, who was imprisoned for 17 years after being wrongly convicted of murdering his parents and was released in 2007. |
| In the beginning, Mr. Dixon’s case was covered mostly by The Buffalo News. But it gained more widespread attention in 2012 because of Mr. Dixon’s art. In prison, for hours a day, he liked to draw detailed landscapes in colored pencil. Golf courses were a frequent subject. That caught the interest of journalists at Golf Digest, and the magazine profiled Mr. Dixon. | In the beginning, Mr. Dixon’s case was covered mostly by The Buffalo News. But it gained more widespread attention in 2012 because of Mr. Dixon’s art. In prison, for hours a day, he liked to draw detailed landscapes in colored pencil. Golf courses were a frequent subject. That caught the interest of journalists at Golf Digest, and the magazine profiled Mr. Dixon. |
| In 2017, a new district attorney, John Flynn, took office in Erie County and established a conviction integrity unit to investigate cases that might merit review. | In 2017, a new district attorney, John Flynn, took office in Erie County and established a conviction integrity unit to investigate cases that might merit review. |
| And in 2018, a course called Prison Reform Project was offered for the first time at Georgetown University, led by the director of the university’s Prisons and Justice Initiative, Marc M. Howard. Dr. Howard has known Mr. Tankleff since they attended the same preschool, and they taught the course together, with Mr. Tankleff flying to Washington from his home on Long Island to serve as an adjunct professor once a week. | And in 2018, a course called Prison Reform Project was offered for the first time at Georgetown University, led by the director of the university’s Prisons and Justice Initiative, Marc M. Howard. Dr. Howard has known Mr. Tankleff since they attended the same preschool, and they taught the course together, with Mr. Tankleff flying to Washington from his home on Long Island to serve as an adjunct professor once a week. |
| In an interview on Wednesday, Mr. Tankleff said he had never heard of an undergraduate class like this one. “This is not a course about make-believe cases,” he said. “These are real people, real lives, real-world implications.” | In an interview on Wednesday, Mr. Tankleff said he had never heard of an undergraduate class like this one. “This is not a course about make-believe cases,” he said. “These are real people, real lives, real-world implications.” |
| With several cases to choose from, three students chose Mr. Dixon’s case and gathered evidence. They tracked down witnesses, pored over documents, called Mr. Dixon on the phone several times a week and visited him in prison. Eventually, they were convinced that he was telling the truth, and they made a short documentary on the subject. | With several cases to choose from, three students chose Mr. Dixon’s case and gathered evidence. They tracked down witnesses, pored over documents, called Mr. Dixon on the phone several times a week and visited him in prison. Eventually, they were convinced that he was telling the truth, and they made a short documentary on the subject. |
| Their work helped Donald M. Thompson, a lawyer for Mr. Dixon, make his case to the district attorney’s office. In an interview on Wednesday, Mr. Flynn, the district attorney, said the newly discovered evidence from various witnesses attesting to Mr. Dixon’s innocence was deemed credible. | Their work helped Donald M. Thompson, a lawyer for Mr. Dixon, make his case to the district attorney’s office. In an interview on Wednesday, Mr. Flynn, the district attorney, said the newly discovered evidence from various witnesses attesting to Mr. Dixon’s innocence was deemed credible. |
| That evidence included confessions from Lamarr Scott, who has said several times that he killed Torriano Jackson, although he did once recant a confession in front of a grand jury. On Wednesday, Mr. Scott, who is in prison for an unrelated shooting, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Mr. Jackson’s killing. | That evidence included confessions from Lamarr Scott, who has said several times that he killed Torriano Jackson, although he did once recant a confession in front of a grand jury. On Wednesday, Mr. Scott, who is in prison for an unrelated shooting, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Mr. Jackson’s killing. |
| Mr. Dixon said he crossed paths with Mr. Scott when both were incarcerated at Attica Correctional Facility. They were cordial, he said, but did not speak much. | Mr. Dixon said he crossed paths with Mr. Scott when both were incarcerated at Attica Correctional Facility. They were cordial, he said, but did not speak much. |
| Mr. Thompson said Mr. Scott used Mr. Dixon’s gun in the killing. A weapons charge against Mr. Dixon was not dropped. | Mr. Thompson said Mr. Scott used Mr. Dixon’s gun in the killing. A weapons charge against Mr. Dixon was not dropped. |
| Not everyone believes that Mr. Dixon is innocent. Aaron Jackson, who was injured in the shooting that killed his brother Torriano, has argued consistently and vehemently that he saw Mr. Dixon commit the murder. Mr. Jackson could not be reached on Wednesday night, but he told WGRZ, a local television news outlet, that he was sure Mr. Dixon was guilty. | Not everyone believes that Mr. Dixon is innocent. Aaron Jackson, who was injured in the shooting that killed his brother Torriano, has argued consistently and vehemently that he saw Mr. Dixon commit the murder. Mr. Jackson could not be reached on Wednesday night, but he told WGRZ, a local television news outlet, that he was sure Mr. Dixon was guilty. |
| “He’s not innocent, and he wasn’t tried and convicted in a kangaroo court,” Mr. Jackson said. “I don’t think he should ever be free.” | “He’s not innocent, and he wasn’t tried and convicted in a kangaroo court,” Mr. Jackson said. “I don’t think he should ever be free.” |
| Though Mr. Flynn ultimately concluded otherwise, he said he understood Mr. Jackson’s concerns. “Valentino Dixon walked out of jail today,” he said. “The true victim here is Torriano Jackson, who, unfortunately, is not getting out of the grave.” | Though Mr. Flynn ultimately concluded otherwise, he said he understood Mr. Jackson’s concerns. “Valentino Dixon walked out of jail today,” he said. “The true victim here is Torriano Jackson, who, unfortunately, is not getting out of the grave.” |
| Dr. Howard called Mr. Dixon’s 1992 conviction “mind-boggling,” adding that during Mr. Dixon’s trial, the prosecution’s witnesses were unreliable and the defense did not present witnesses at all. “And it’s not like the students just took something that was at a dead end,” he added. “There was a lot of momentum building, and there was a tremendous amount of interest generated by the golf angle.” | Dr. Howard called Mr. Dixon’s 1992 conviction “mind-boggling,” adding that during Mr. Dixon’s trial, the prosecution’s witnesses were unreliable and the defense did not present witnesses at all. “And it’s not like the students just took something that was at a dead end,” he added. “There was a lot of momentum building, and there was a tremendous amount of interest generated by the golf angle.” |
| On Wednesday, two of those students returned to New York to see Mr. Dixon leave the Erie County courtroom. Ellie Goonetillake flew from England, and Julie Fragonas from France. Both have finished their undergraduate work and begun postgraduate studies in law. | On Wednesday, two of those students returned to New York to see Mr. Dixon leave the Erie County courtroom. Ellie Goonetillake flew from England, and Julie Fragonas from France. Both have finished their undergraduate work and begun postgraduate studies in law. |
| Ms. Goonetillake, 23, said the class was unlike anything she had taken before. “It was definitely the most immersive, the most challenging and most demanding course I’ve ever done in my life,” she said. “But it all pays off today.” | Ms. Goonetillake, 23, said the class was unlike anything she had taken before. “It was definitely the most immersive, the most challenging and most demanding course I’ve ever done in my life,” she said. “But it all pays off today.” |
| Ms. Fragonas, 21, said it was draining to watch Mr. Dixon and his family members struggle during his incarceration. “But it has also been such a rewarding experience,” she said. “When we saw him get out of the courtroom, it was really the best feeling.” | Ms. Fragonas, 21, said it was draining to watch Mr. Dixon and his family members struggle during his incarceration. “But it has also been such a rewarding experience,” she said. “When we saw him get out of the courtroom, it was really the best feeling.” |
| On Wednesday evening, Mr. Dixon was joined by his grandmother, several cousins, a few aunts, his mother, two of his three daughters and three of his six grandchildren. They had to book an entire room at the Red Lobster. | On Wednesday evening, Mr. Dixon was joined by his grandmother, several cousins, a few aunts, his mother, two of his three daughters and three of his six grandchildren. They had to book an entire room at the Red Lobster. |
| His daughter Valentina Dixon, 27, was only a few months old when her father went to prison. She, too, has been working for years to get him released. “He would tell me we were going to get through this, and we just had to stay strong in our fight,” she said. “His encouragement and his enthusiasm and his endurance pushed us to be where we are today.” | His daughter Valentina Dixon, 27, was only a few months old when her father went to prison. She, too, has been working for years to get him released. “He would tell me we were going to get through this, and we just had to stay strong in our fight,” she said. “His encouragement and his enthusiasm and his endurance pushed us to be where we are today.” |
| Now, Mr. Dixon has plans. He said he wanted to cook breakfast — and then lunch, and then dinner — for his mother and his grandmother on Thursday. He wanted to visit a golf course (he has never played the game) and take his children fishing at Sodus Point, N.Y. | Now, Mr. Dixon has plans. He said he wanted to cook breakfast — and then lunch, and then dinner — for his mother and his grandmother on Thursday. He wanted to visit a golf course (he has never played the game) and take his children fishing at Sodus Point, N.Y. |
| And then he wants to work on criminal justice reform, with a focus on his home state of New York. “I’m going to dedicate my life to fighting mass incarceration,” he said. | And then he wants to work on criminal justice reform, with a focus on his home state of New York. “I’m going to dedicate my life to fighting mass incarceration,” he said. |