Curtis Flowers, a Mississippi man who endured decades of wrongful imprisonment and was tried six times for the same quadruple murder, died Wednesday at his home in Winona, Mississippi. He was 56.
His attorney, Rob McDuff, confirmed the death to CBS News on Thursday, noting that family members verified the passing. No cause of death was immediately released, and inquiries were directed to the local coroner’s office.
Flowers’ harrowing legal odyssey began following a tragic July 1996 shooting at Tardy Furniture in Winona. Four people-the store owner, a bookkeeper, a delivery man, and a 16-year-old employee-were shot execution-style in the head. The crime sparked one of the most contentious and racially charged prosecutions in modern American legal history.
A Historic Legal Struggle and Six Trials
For more than two decades, Flowers maintained his absolute innocence while navigating an unprecedented series of trials spearheaded by local prosecutors. He was tried six separate times for the exact same crimes. These trials resulted in multiple convictions and subsequent death sentences that were repeatedly overturned on appeal.
The case drew national scrutiny over systemic flaws, prosecutorial misconduct, and racial bias within the criminal justice system. In particular, the white district attorney, Doug Evans, systematically excluded Black potential jurors. The legal battle ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in Flowers’ favor in 2019. The Court cited clear violations of constitutional rights in jury selection.
Exoneration and Final Freedom
Following the Supreme Court ruling, the Mississippi Attorney General’s office dropped all charges against Flowers in September 2020. He was released from prison after spending nearly 27 years behind bars, much of that time on death row.
Since his release, Flowers sought to rebuild his life away from the intense media spotlight. He was supported by his legal team, family, and advocates who chronicled his struggle in investigative journalism projects, including the acclaimed podcast In the Dark.
Remembering Curtis Flowers
Flowers’ death closes a chapter on one of the most prominent miscarriages of justice in Mississippi history. Civil rights advocates and legal defense organizations have shared tributes mourning his passing. They also highlighted the immense personal toll exacted by his decades-long fight for vindication.
Funeral arrangements and memorials are being handled privately by his family in Winona.
