Anatomy of Injustice

In Anatomy of Injustice: A Murder Case Gone Wrong, Pulitzer Prize-winning American author and investigative reporter Raymond Bonner presents a true story of an innocent man sentenced to die for a crime he did not commit. This chronicle crafts a strong argument that the state of South Carolina—through prosecutorial misconduct and law enforcement negligence—sanctioned a death sentence against Edward Elmore, an African American man, in the spring of 1982—despite the fact that, in all likelihood, he had nothing to do with the murder of an elderly widow. Bonner meticulously lays out the case for Elmore's innocence in this journalistic exposé, first published by Vintage Books in 2012.

The story opens with a snapshot of Greenwood, South Carolina, in January of 1982. Snowstorms ground planes, blanket the town, and close schools and government offices for days at a time. Dorothy Edwards, a local widow and pillar of the community, has a well-appointed home, a loving family, and an active social life. However, on January 17, her neighbor, Jimmy Holloway, finds Mrs. Edwards's body in a bedroom closet—fatally stabbed, her ear nearly cut off, her hair matted with blood, and perhaps sexually violated; the latter was never definitely proven.

In virtually no time at all, police narrow their investigation on a single suspect: Edward Elmore, a poor, twenty-three-year-old African American man who makes a living by performing odd jobs around town. A few days before Jimmy Holloway found her body, Mrs. Edwards had hired Elmore to wash her windows and clean her gutters. Based on the discovery of his fingerprints near the back door of her home, police discard any other potential suspects and arrest Elmore within a matter of days.



The state tries Elmore more than once for Mrs. Edwards's murder. During the first trial, the foreman informs the judge that at least one juror refuses to hand down a death sentence, a unanimous conviction is needed to sentence someone to death. The judge then calls the jury back into court and tells them they are duty-bound to consider a death penalty if the situation merits such a verdict. This admonishment sways the holdout(s), and they sentence Edward Elmore to die. The South Carolina Supreme Court overturns this decision on appeal, ruling that the judge's instruction/admonishment was tantamount to prejudicial influencing.

Then, the state retries Elmore. Again, they convict him. However, at the sentencing stage, the state prevents the defense from introducing key information that could help Elmore—namely, the fact that he is a model prisoner. They give him the death penalty, which is once more overturned on appeal by the South Carolina Supreme Court. However, at Elmore's third sentencing hearing, the state issues the final verdict—by this time, a typical refrain: Edward Elmore will die for the murder of Dorothy Edwards.

Elmore spends the next thirty years in prison. As Bonner examines the details of the case, he discovers ample evidence of wrongdoing, starting with how the police conducted their investigation. From the very beginning, they focused exclusively on Elmore and no one else. This, despite the fact that Elmore A) had no criminal history; B) neighbors of Edwards, whom Elmore had also done work for, said there was no way he was guilty; and C) all of Edwards's valuables were left behind. The motive the police and prosecution hung their story on was a sexual one: Elmore targeted Edwards so he could sexually assault her. However, there was no conclusive proof she had been sexually assaulted.



In addition, there is ample evidence to suggest another suspect was right under the noses of police and prosecutors all along. Jimmy Holloway, the next-door neighbor, had a key to Edwards's home, and rumors had circulated that the two were having an affair. Edwards had recently started seeing someone else, which could have provoked Holloway's jealousy.

Bonner also suggests that Elmore had ineffective legal counsel. One of his public defenders reportedly had a drinking problem; the other had a reputation of being lazy and disinterested, at best. Add into the mix a jailhouse informant who later recanted his testimony, and you have a case that amounts to one that is almost entirely circumstantial—and even that is shaky.

Then, two other lawyers, Diana Holt and Christopher Jensen, hear of Elmore's story and start working to get his case reopened. After much legal wrangling, they convince the state to reexamine the verdict. Eventually, Elmore agrees to an Alford plea—wherein a defendant does not admit to the criminal action but admits that the submitted evidence is sufficient to warrant a guilty verdict—in exchange for his freedom. Edward Elmore is released from prison in 2012, nearly thirty years after his wrongful conviction.



Anatomy of Injustice includes a comprehensive listing of notes on the sources cited in the text, as well as an index.