At a Glance
- Dallas County commissioners will vote Wednesday to declare Tommy Lee Walker innocent of a 1953 rape-murder.
- The 19-year-old Black man was executed after an all-white jury convicted him despite alibi witnesses and no physical evidence.
- Why it matters: The vote would formally acknowledge a wrongful execution rooted in racial injustice and coerced confession.
Dallas County leaders are poised to reverse a 70-year-old conviction that sent Tommy Lee Walker to the electric chair for a crime he likely did not commit. Commissioners will meet Wednesday to review a resolution that declares Walker innocent and recognizes the harm caused by his prosecution during the Jim Crow era.
The Crime and Arrest
In September 1953, Venice Parker, a mother and store clerk, was found fatally stabbed near Love Field. With no leads, Dallas police began rounding up groups of Black men for questioning. Tommy Lee Walker, 19, was among those detained.
Investigators extracted what is now viewed as a coerced confession and charged Walker with capital murder.
Trial and Conviction
Despite multiple alibi witnesses, including Walker’s girlfriend who testified he was with her while she went into labor with their son, the all-white jury found him guilty. Key facts presented at trial:
- No physical evidence tied Walker to the crime scene
- He lived miles away and had no vehicle
- The prosecution relied solely on the confession
Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade convinced the jury, and Walker was sentenced to death.
Final Statement
At sentencing, Walker addressed the court:
> “I feel that I have been tricked out of my life. There’s a lot of other people that have been convicted for crime that committed and was turned loose. I haven’t did anything, and I’m not being turned loose.”
He was executed shortly afterward.
Renewed Investigation
The case gained fresh attention after journalist Mary Mapes, writing for D Magazine, first investigated Walker’s story. Her work prompted local leaders to re-examine the file.
According to the proposed resolution, the Dallas County DA’s Criminal Integrity Unit reviewed the case in collaboration with:
- The Innocence Project
- Northeastern University School of Law’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project
Their findings will be presented at Wednesday’s special meeting.
Vote and Resolution
Commissioners will vote on a resolution that:
- Declares Tommy Lee Walker innocent
- Recognizes the harm caused by his wrongful conviction and execution
- Acknowledges the role of racial bias and coerced confession in the outcome
If approved, the measure would add Walker’s name to the growing list of exonerated individuals in Dallas County.
Key Takeaways
- Walker’s conviction rested on a confession now considered coerced
- Alibi witnesses, including his girlfriend in labor, were ignored
- The vote marks another step by Dallas County to confront its segregated past
For deeper detail, the News Of Fort Worth archives on the Walker case are searchable through the UNT Libraries Portal to Texas History.
