Willie Peterson
Willie Peterson (died 1940) was a World War I veteran, former miner, and tuberculosis sufferer accused by Nell Williams of attacking her, her sister and a friend as they drove down the Leeds Highway on the afternoon of Sunday, August 4, 1931.
Nell, the only girl who survived the attack, told authorities that a black gunman jumped onto the running board of their car and forced her to pull onto a side road in the woods. She said that he took their money and held them captive in the woods of Shades Mountain, lecturing them on racial injustice. When he started to "get fresh", they attempted to escape. Augusta and Wood were fatally shot, while Nell took a bullet in the arm. The suspect fled and she drove the car one-handed back to Mountain Brook for help.
Jennie Wood also described the suspect before she died, but her description conflicted with Nell's. Dozens of Blacks were taken in custody in Birmingham and even across the country. Nell was unable to identify the assailant from any of the suspects, but identified Peterson as the culprit when she saw him walking on the street weeks later.
When he was identified, Peterson was in the later stages of tuberculosis, under the care of a physician and seeking admittance to a government hospital. Serious doubts were raised about the likelihood that Peterson was involved
Saying that they hoped to avoid the ordeal of a trial, members of the Williams family requested to meet with Peterson. Dent Williams, Nell's brother, pulled out a pistol and shot him three times. Peterson recovered and Williams was acquitted of attempted murder. Despite the lack of any other evidence against Peterson, he was convicted after an initial mistrial, and sentenced to death. Some of the jury later said they voted to convict in fear of reprisal from the Ku Klux Klan. In 1934 Peterson's sentence was commuted by governor Benjamin M. Miller. He died in Kilby Prison of tuberculosis in 1940.
References
- Jones, Pam. (Winter 2006) "Alabama Mysteries: Williams/Wood Murders". Alabama Heritage