My name is Willie Allen Merriweather. I was arrested on March 10, 1987, when I was falsely convicted through means of manufactured evidence and tampering with witness testimonies. I sit in the Michigan prison system for multiple murders and assault with intent to commit murder, charges falsely placed upon me by members of the Detroit police simply because I refused to make false statements against four other individuals. These four went to trial and were all found not guilty because I refused to lie and file false statements against them.
I was first offered a 10 to 20 year sentence and the opportunity to have sex with my female companion in police headquarters (1300 Beaubian) if I cooperated with homicide detectives and signed a statement that coincided with another person's statement. I refused to cooperate and was beaten, then transferred to another police station where I was continually beaten. I overheard one police officer upon my arrival to the 5th precinct tell another officer that I was to receive no phone calls, visitors, food or water--that I was to get nothing but "ass kickings." Even so, on numerous occasions I asked for an attorney and nothing was done.
At about 12:30 am the night of my arrest, I was told by police at the 5th precinct that detectives wanted to talk to me. Upon being escorted to see detectives, I assumed, instead the 5th precinct officer held me while another officer beat me, then dragged me back to the holding cell. At or around 2 am I was moved from the 5th precinct to another precinct where I was held down onto the unmarked police car backseat and could not see where I was being taken. At about 8 or 9 am on March 11, 1987, I was then transferred back to police headquarters (1300 Beaubian) where I was then fingerprinted.
If you find this difficult to believe, please see page 95 of the Judge's assessment. Please read. If you are interested in contacting me, I can be reached at:
Willie Merriweather #131483
Lakeland Correctional Facility
141 First St.
Coldwater, MI 49036
