Advocates Plead For Release Of Brockton Man Convicted Of Murder
BROCKTON (CBS) – Brockton's interfaith community and criminal justice reform advocates are calling for the release of a Brockton man serving a life sentence after being convicted for murder.
In 1997, William Allen was with a friend who planned to rob a drug dealer. That robbery ended in the drug dealer being stabbed to death. The man who pulled the trigger was released from prison 11 years ago.
Allen, who wasn't in the room at the time of the crime, was convicted of felony murder. The killer accepted a plea deal, which gave him a shorter sentence.
"Today we are in the process of really inviting people to think about what justice looks like in our community, in Brockton particularly, in Massachusetts. We are here to request and ruminate on the commutation of William Allen," said William Dickerson, executive director of Brockton Interfaith Community.