Thomas and Meeks Griffin were electrocuted by the state of South Carolina in 1915 for allegedly murdering confederate Civil War veteran John Louis. Last Wednesday, they were pardoned for that murder.
The Griffin brothers' pardons happened with the aid of their great nephew, prominent radio host Tom Joyner.
Joyner participated in Professor Henry Louis Gates' "African American Lives 2" series which aired in 2008 on PBS. While analyzing Tom Joyner's genealogy, Professor Gates informed Joyner that he was related to two men executed in South Carolina in 1915 for a murder many believed they did not commit. Thomas and Meeks Griffin were the brothers of Joyner's grandmother Ruth Griffin. (Video of this portion of the series can be seen here.)
With the assistance of historians and attorneys, Joyner pursued the case to clear his great uncles' names. Last week, the South Carolina Board of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services granted the pardons.
How did Joyner make the case? He used voluminous affidavits collected from locals before the execution, along with a petition filed by those who tried to save the Griffin brothers' lives. After they'd been found guilty at trial (in which their counsel was allowed two days to prepare) and appeals had failed, over 120 locals asked the governor to commute the sentences. Amongst those who signed the petition: two trial jurors, the grand jury foreman, the town's mayor, and a former sheriff.