Gwynn Gets a Win
Daniel Gwynn, a death row prisoner for almost 30 years, is now leaving death row and prison itself after his case was finally dismissed after the case fell apart.
For almost 30 years Gwynn was subject to decades of solitary confinement under threat of imminent death and soul-aching loneliness.
Gwynn’s conviction stems from both a false confession and apparently tampering with witnesses by police and the prosecutor. He was charged and convicted of murder, and aggravated assault, for the death of Marsha Smith of the 4500-block of Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia in November 1994. The woman died from smoke inhalation, and several others were injured after jumping out of a three-story window. Gwynn was charged with setting the fire.
Why was the confession suspect? Because Gwynn, then in his twenties, was a serious drug fiend. His so-called confession was quite divergent from the facts at issue.
How did he survive almost 30 years on death row with his sanity intact? Art.
Specifically, he learned how to paint and made sunny works of art. When I was on death row at SCI Greene the prison aired shots of art works on its closed-circuit TV channel. I remember seeing a memorable painting of a Jazz pianist deep into his music. The keyboard undulated like a wave seemingly dancing to the music. That work of beauty was painted by Daniel Gwynn.
Gwynn, now 54 years old, is really free.
—Prison Radio, March 15, 2024
https://www.prisonradio.org/commentary/gwynn-gets-a-win/
Write to Mumia at:
Smart Communications/PADOC
Mumia Abu-Jamal #AM-8335
SCI Mahanoy
P.O. Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733