PHILADELPHIA — The article written by Samantha Melamed of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the judge hearing David Dickson’s trial for the 1984 murder of Deborah Wilson, a Drexel University student, found the case to be tainted by prosecutorial misconduct and mistrust stemming from a jailhouse informant.
Melamed explained that Judge Juanita Kidd Stout stated at the 1995 trial, “There is no way, with all of this, that it can stand.” However, Melamed noted that, despite the judge’s statement, the case stood for 30 years until Judge Jennifer Schultz overturned Dickson’s conviction, allowing him to plead guilty in exchange for his release from prison. Dickson entered an Alford plea to third-degree murder and robbery.
According to Melamed, it was an emotional moment for Dickson’s siblings and other family members, who not only wanted his name cleared but also wanted him to finally come home. Melamed added that Dickson, now 65, will be starting over. His brother, Michael Avery, said, “That lost time is in the past. You gotta think about going forward.”
Melamed wrote that Dickson is the eighth murder conviction overturned due to misconduct by prosecutor Roger King. She referenced a 2021 Inquirer article investigating Dickson’s case, which found that King manipulated evidence, intimidated witnesses, and made inappropriate comments in court on numerous occasions. Furthermore, the article explains that in Dickson’s trial, King bolstered his informant’s testimony with evidence about Dickson’s martial arts background and an alleged sneaker fetish to support the theory that Wilson was murdered for her sneakers.
Melamed reported that for Wilson’s family, the proceeding reopened old wounds. Wilson’s sister said, “Mr. Dickson’s conviction was a comfort to my family.” Melamed wrote that Wilson’s sister remains convinced that Dickson murdered her sister.
The article provides context for the events that led to Dickson’s wrongful conviction. It describes how jailhouse informant John Hall’s false testimony was the only direct evidence linking Dickson to Wilson’s murder. Melamed details how Hall, assisted by his wife and research assistant Phyllis, falsified confessions in numerous cases, including Dickson’s. She wrote that in Dickson’s case, “Nothing Hall said was true.”
The article emphasizes how Dickson’s lawyer, Jennifer Merrigan, highlighted the injustice of the plea deal, explaining that Dickson felt he had no other options due to his heart disease and his father’s hospitalization.
Merrigan stated, “It’s bitter that justice wasn’t done — because it should have been done 40 years ago, when this case was investigated.”
Melamed connected Dickson’s case to others involving Hall, illustrating the broader impact of Hall’s misconduct. Walter Ogrod and Herbie Haak were also wrongfully convicted and later acquitted.
Melamed concluded by noting that victims are still trying to recover from the damage caused by Hall. “I’m trying to live, and I’m hoping Walter and David and all the other people affected can do the same thing,” Haak said.
