amna: After more than three
decades behind bars, for a
murder he says he did not
commit, I'm man released on
house arrest during the pandemic
is now going back to prison.
As William brangham reports,
many questions remain about
whether Florida is locking up an
innocent man for the rest of his
life.
Part of our ongoing series,
searching for justice.
Reporter: Today was supposed to
be a day of celebration for the
65-year-old Crossley green.
A chance for this grandfather to
be with his family and celebrate
his continued freedom.
After 32 years behind bars,
green was freed in 2021,
awaiting repeal of a murder
conviction he says he is not
guilty of.
For two years he has been living
in titusville, Florida under
house arrest.
Crosley: This is my first day
out like this in the afternoon
away from home, out to a park or
anywhere.
William: Did you have to get
permission to do this?
Crosley: Yes.
It means a lot to be away from
the house and just enjoy myself.
Watch this.
William: On his way here he got
terrible news.
He is being sent back to prison
to serve the rest of his life
sentence.
So green put on a brave face,
but decided to wait to tell his
family.
Crosley: I want to enjoy my day
with my kids.
I want them to enjoy their day.
>> The Crosley green case in my
believe is a racial hoax, just
pure injustice.
Reporter John torres of Florida
today has covered the case since
2009 and hosts a podcast about
it.
>> Somebody was killed and a
black man was blamed.
William: In 1989 a man named
chip Flynn was shot in an Orange
grove in Florida.
The woman Flynn was with, his
ex-girlfriend Kim Halleck, told
police an unknown black man shot
him.
>> He had been shot, asked who
he was, who did this.
All he would say was, I am hurt,
take me home.
William: Diane Clark was a
patrol sergeant with the Brevard
county sheriffs office.
She was first on the scene and
spoke wth chip Flynn before he
died.
He never said a black man shot
me or a stranger shot me?
>> No.
He never said who shot him.
That is what we were trying to
get out of him, so we would have
something to go on.
All he would say was, I am hurt,
take me home.
William: Acting on a tip, police
arrested Crosley green.
Police knew the 31-year-old
because he was a small time drug
dealer.
>> This is where Kim Halleck and
chip Flynn were parked in a
lovers lane area.
William: At trial John torres
says three witnesses testified
they heard green confessed to
the killing, only to recant it,
alleging he had been coerced.
Despite being no physical
evidence tying green to the
crime, he was convicted of
kidnapping, robbery and murder.
>> He was picked up, and all
white jury sent him to Florida's
death row.
There is no physical evidence.
Every witness has recanted.
There is nothing that ties
Crosley green to this case at
all.
The one witness who survived the
attack, she told police several
accounts of what happened that
night.
Responding officers who showed
up to the scene of the crime all
believed it was her.
>> There is no way he shot him,
he did not do it.
I will say that to my last
breath.
It will probably haunt me until
the day I die.
William: Clark and her fellow
officers told prosecutor Chris
white Halleck was the likelier
suspect.
While newshour's attempts to
reach her were unsuccessful, she
told the Washington post, I
testified to the truth.
Green needs to go back to where
he belongs.
You have all these reservations
about the story this woman,
Halleck is saying about an
unknown black assailants.
Did you share those with the
prosecutor?
>> Yes.
I personally do not believe this
is any black man.
You need to look at Kim Hallock.
I feel she is involved in this.
It is in the notes, but did not
matter, I guess.
William: Green's lawyers said he
was initially given a plea deal,
admit your guilt, and be given a
lesser sentence.
Crosley: I would never take a
plea deal for something I did
not do.
I don't care if they offered me
three years, I would not have
touched that plea, because I did
not do that crime.
William: For nearly 20 years
Crosley green was on death row
in Florida.
But in 2009 lawyers got his
sentence change to life in
prison.
Lawyers say they made a key
discovery.
Thomas says prosecutor Chris
white never shared with green's
defense team the notes he took
about his meeting with Diane
Clark and the other officer.
>> He writes in his notes, Diane
and mark think the girl did it.
William: That's a singly?
>> -- That succinctly.
If we put those two white
responding officers on the stand
at his trial and used the
information developed from these
notes in this trial, before an
all-white jury, we believe it
would have changed the outcome
of the trial.
William: In 2018 a federal court
agreed, ruling that omission is
known as a Brady violation,
withholding material that could
have helped green's case.
It ordered he be released or
retried.
The state of Florida appealed.
Prosecutor Chris white, now
retired, told the newshour he
has no doubt Crosley green is
guilty and that a judge and jury
agreed.
About the written notes he did
not turn over he wrote, officers
opinions as to guilt are
inadmissible in evidence.
It never crossed my mind I had
to disclose theirs.
Three years later during the
pandemic and still waiting on
the state's appeal, green was
released on home arrest into the
welcoming arms of his family.
Over the last two years he
started life again.
He got a full-time job, devoted
himself even more to his faith,
found a loving partner and got
engaged.
He says he still believes in
America's justice system.
Crosley: I have thought a lot of
times that god did this for a
reason.
God spared my life, I am still
here.
He got some plan for me, because
I am not sad, not angry, and
don't hate anyone.
That is all in the past with me.
I am just looking forward.
William: The 11th circuit court
reinstated Crosley green's life
sentence.
When the supreme court refused
to hear his appeal, his legal
options ran out.
Crosley: My lawyer called me
when I got off work.
William: Now he has to tell his
family he has been ordered back
to prison.
Crosley: The judge made a
decision that I surrender
myself.
I'm ok.
But I need you to hold me up.
Keep standing up.
Keep holding me up.
William: His family says they
are still struggling to
understand how this is
happening.
>> There is no evidence, yet you
are sending him back to prison
again.
Tearing our hearts open all over
again.
>> I don't understand the
system, I really don't.
They have failed us so many
times.
What is next?
William: Green's lawyers say his
only chance is parole or a grant
of clemency from governor Ron
Desantis.
Crosley: I am taking every
moment I can take to feel love
and do the things I want to do.
I hope the good lord would bless
me again, give me my freedom
again, which I think I am truly
going to get.
William: You do?
Crosley: I can't say when, but
I'm going to get it.
William: This afternoon Crosley
green surrendered himself to
police in Florida and will soon
be released to prison.
For the pbs newshour, I am
William brangham.
♪♪