John,

Toforest Johnson has been on death row in Alabama for more than 25 years, and is at risk of being executed for a crime he didn’t commit — even though the prosecutor who put him there is now calling for a new trial. 

Toforest was convicted and sentenced to death in 1998 for the murder of Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff William G. Hardy. No physical evidence or eyewitness testimony connected him to the crime scene and more than 10 alibi witnesses placed him across town at the time of the murder. The prosecution’s whole case rested on the testimony of an “earwitness” who claimed that she eavesdropped on a three-way phone call and heard a man, who said his name was Toforest, confess to the crime. But in 2019, it was finally revealed that the State secretly paid the witness $5,000 for her testimony. 

The current District Attorney and the original trial prosecutor are calling for a new trial — but the State of Alabama continues to aggressively seek Toforest’s execution.

Now, we’re fighting for justice for Toforest, and we can’t let Alabama execute an innocent person. If you want to join our efforts, there are three ways you can help right now — the more people who get involved and show support for Toforest, the better his chances of getting a new trial and avoiding an unjust execution.

Thank you so much for your support,

— The Innocence Project Team