What happened to Sean Ellis?
Ellis was arrested on October 6, 1993, on charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and two counts of illegal possession of a firearm, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. After two mistrials, Ellis was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on January 4, 1995. Sean K. Ellis during his trial in Boston on Jan. 12, 1995.
What happened to Richard Ellis after his conviction?
But in 2015, after two decades behind bars, Ellis was released from prison after the evidence in the case was called into question, according to Esquire. As the magazine reports, however, there’s been no indication that Ellis has received any compensation or settlement for his time in prison. Ellis is finally free and living an admirable life.
Was Sean Ellis ever granted bail?
Then, after nine days of evidentiary hearings, Suffolk Superior Court Justice Carol Ball overturned Sean Ellis’ first-degree murder and armed robbery convictions, recommending a re-trial. This verdict was unanimously affirmed by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 2016. Therefore, Sean Ellis was granted bail.
Should Sean Ellis Sue the city for wrongful conviction?
Should that ultimately happen, Ellis would then be free to sue the city for wrongful conviction, which Scapicchio said she believes he will and he should. “We need to hold the police department responsible for what happened here, financially, because Sean lost the opportunity to live his life for 22 years.
What happened to Rosa Sanchez?
Although Sanchez reportedly had a list of four alibi witnesses plus other indications that she was not, in fact, guilty of the crime, her attorney reportedly phoned it in. And guilty or no, the single mother of four was convicted of murder in 1986, and given a sentence of 25 to life.
What happened Phyllis Broker?
Broker was a District Court judge for the Woburn District Court in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. She was appointed to the court by Gov. Paul Cellucci in 1999. She retired in 2010 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age.
What really happened to John Mulligan?
Detective John Mulligan was shot and killed while working a secondary employment detail. He was shot five times in the face, execution-style, as he sat in his car at a store at 972 American Legion Highway. After shooting Detective Mulligan, the two subjects stole his service weapon and fled.
Was John Mulligan married?
Personal life. Around 1795, Mulligan married Elizabeth Winter of Louisville, Kentucky. They had three sons and six daughters and lived on 52 John Street, near Cedar Street.
When was Sean Ellis arrested?
Ellis was arrested on October 6, 1993, on charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and two counts of illegal possession of a firearm, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. After two mistrials, Ellis was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on January 4, 1995. Sean K. Ellis during his trial in Boston on Jan. 12, 1995.
Why was Ellis questioned by police?
At the time, Ellis was questioned by police because his ID was found in his cousins' apartment. There was also a package of diapers, which Ellis said he had purchased at the same Walgreen's where Mulligan was killed.
When was Ellis released from jail?
In 2015, Ellis was released on bail after a judge ordered a new trial based on the fact that the corruption of the officers who’d investigated Mulligan's case raised questions about the fairness of Ellis's conviction, according to Boston's GBH News.
When is the fourth trial for Ellis?
In Trial 4, the documentary cameras followed Ellis as he prepared for his fourth trial that was scheduled for October 2018. But that year, the District Attorney dropped all charges against him without the trial even happening, Boston.com reported. Ellis hugs his sister, Lasalle Ellis, in the courtroom at Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston ...
Is Sean Ellis still a criminal justice speaker?
Since his 2015 release, Ellis has been transitioning back into civilian life. He is now a criminal justice speaker, according to the Justice for Sean Ellis website. Ellis also currently works as a Development Associate at a Boston nonprofit called Community Servings that prepares and delivers meals to ill and elderly Bostonians.
Who is Emily Shiffer?
Emily Shiffer Emily Shiffer is a former digital web producer for Men’s Health and Prevention, and is currently a freelancer writer specializing in health, weight loss, and fitness. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses.
Did Sean K. Ellis ever receive a settlement?
Unfortunately, no. Ellis has not received any sort of compensation or settlement for his years behind bars, per an Esquire inquiry. The publication reached out to Ellis' lawyer to see if he had any plans to sue the Boston police department, but did not receive a response.
When did Ellis get promoted to development associate?
After starting out in the shipping dock, Ellis was promoted to the position of development associate in the summer of 2020. Better yet, he apparently found love on the job: The website reveals he plans to wed one of his Community Servings colleagues next year. Article continues below advertisement.
How many mistrials did Ellis have?
After two mistrials — during which the juries “simply did not believe the police version of events,” according to WGBH Radio’s Phillip Martin — Ellis was convicted of Mulligan’s murder in a third trial and sentenced to life in prison in 1995.
When is the fourth trial for Ellis?
The website also offers an update on that fateful fourth trial. As viewers will learn in the docuseries, Suffolk County prosecutors scheduled the trial for Oct. 2018 and then postponed it to Sept. 2019 before opting to drop all charges against Ellis in Dec. 2018.
Is Sean Ellis free?
Ellis is finally free and living an admirable life. The Justice for Sean Ellis website states that Ellis has been “living an admirable life” since his June 2015 release and that his friends, family, and lawyers have been helping him adjust to life outside prison.
Why was Sean Ellis freed?
In 1995, Sean Ellis was sentenced in life in prison for the murder of a Boston police detective. Two decades later, he was freed when all the charges against him were dropped amid revelations of police corruption in his case. Through Ellis's decades of legal battles and eventual release, Netflix's new true crime docuseries Trial 4 touches on themes ...
Why did the D.A. drop charges against Sean Ellis?
But in 2018, because the witnesses and evidence from the 1995 trial had been called into question , the D.A. dropped all charges against Sean Ellis instead of going through with his fourth trial. “The trial evidence and testimony in 1995 proved Mr. Ellis’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Jurors at the time called the case against him overwhelming,” ...
Where did John Mulligan pick up his diapers?
He explained that he picked the diapers up at Walgreens on his way over a few days before upon the request of his cousins, and that his friend Terry Patterson had driven him there—which placed him and Patterson at the scene of John Mulligan’s murder.
When was Terry Patterson arrested?
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. On October 6, 1993, police arrested both Terry Patterson and Sean Ellis—immediately after the funeral of his cousins—on charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery, ...
When was Sean Ellis' fourth trial?
Trial 4 was intended to follow Sean Ellis as he prepared for his fourth trial, which was scheduled for October 2018. But in 2018, because the witnesses and evidence from the 1995 trial had been called into question, the D.A. dropped all charges against Sean Ellis instead of going through with his fourth trial.
Did Patterson nod to Ellis?
The defense attorney, who had been present for Patterson’s statement, maintains that Patterson had not implicated Ellis and did not nod, and that the affidavit had been altered and contained a false statement. The details and evidence in the case against Ellis never quite lined up.
Who killed John Mulligan?
The prosecution, led by Phyllis Broker, argued that Ellis and Patterson murdered Mulligan in order to steal his service weapon.
Who is Ellis' attorney?
Ellis' longtime attorney, Rosemary Scapicchio, said Ellis is happy to have this nearly three decade chapter of his life over.
What is the name of the Netflix documentary about Ellis?
Ellis's case received national attention this year through the Netflix documentary series "Trial 4."
How long was John Mulligan in jail?
Ellis spent more than 20 years in prison for the 1993 killing of Boston police detective John Mulligan. That conviction was overturned in 2015 after the detectives who investigated the crime were accused of their own illegal activities. Prosecutors declined to try Ellis a fourth time.
Did Ellis get a fourth time?
Prosecutors declined to try Ellis a fourth time. Despite this reversal, Ellis still had a single gun possession conviction. A Suffolk Superior Court judge on Tuesday declared justice was not done in that case, either, and ordered a new trial.
Did Scapicchio say it didn't begin and end with Sean Ellis?
Scapicchio said she hopes prosecutors investigate other cases worked by the corrupt detectives from Ellis' case to see if other people were wrongly convicted. "It didn't begin and end with Sean Ellis," Scapicchio said.
Why was Ellis questioned?
Because Ellis lived in the apartment where Kirk and Brown were murdered, detectives questioned him on September 30. Ellis said that on the night before Mulligan was murdered, he rode his bike to a gathering of friends on Hansborough Street in Dorchester. Just after 2 a.m., before he left the group, he spoke by telephone with Tracy Brown, who asked him to pick up disposable diapers on his way back to the apartment. He said Patterson agreed to drive him to the Walgreens, so he put down his bike.
When did Ellis go to trial?
Ellis went to trial a second time on March 21, 1995. A second mistrial was declared on April 1, 1995 after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
Why did Sanchez choose Ellis as the person crouching next to Mulligan's vehicle?
The two detectives escorted Sanchez back inside, and explained that she selected the wrong person because she was afraid and did not want to get involved. She viewed the array for a third time and immediately selected Ellis as the person crouching next to Mulligan’s vehicle.
What did David Murray say about Patterson?
Murray claimed that Ellis told him that Patterson came running up to him yelling at Ellis to get going and they ran across the parking lot to the waiting car. According to Murray, when Patterson got to the car, he said, “I shot someone” and passed Ellis the two guns.
Why was Sanchez upset when she saw Ellis's photo?
When Sanchez was shown the array with Ellis’s photo, she became upset because she said one of the eight was someone who had stalked her. That photo was then covered up and Sanchez again viewed the photographs. She pointed to someone other than Ellis and said she thought that could have been the person she saw crouching next to Mulligan’s vehicle.
What was the jury verdict for Ellis?
On January 21, after eight days of deliberation, the jury convicted Ellis of two counts of illegal possession of a firearm. However, a mistrial was declared on the first-degree murder and armed robbery charges when the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
When did Ellis and Patterson go to trial?
On January 4, 1995, Ellis went to trial in Suffolk County Superior Court. The prosecution’s theory was that Ellis and Patterson came upon Mulligan, who was asleep, and decided to rob him of his weapon and kill him. They then drove to a nearby street, parked, and walked back to the mall to commit the crime.
What was the case that Ellis was convicted of?
Ellis was also convicted of firearms charges in 1995, in a case where it is now acknowledged evidence was buried.
When was Ellis arrested?
Photograph: Charles Krupa/AP. Trial 4 followed Ellis’s fight to prove his innocence. He was only 19 when he was arrested in October 1993 as a suspect in the shooting death of Mulligan outside a pharmacy. It took prosecutors three trials to convict Ellis for Mulligan’s murder after two ended in deadlock, with mistrials declared.
What was the Rollins case tainted by?
Rollins had previously said in another court filing that the case was “tainted” by significant police corruption and prosecutorial misconduct.
What is the New England Innocence Project?
Ellis works for a food service non-profit and is a board member of the New England Innocence Project, an organization that advocated for him during his incarceration. “He’s really committed to this cause of ending wrongful convictions,” said Scapicchio.
How many trials did it take to convict Ellis?
It took prosecutors three trials to convict Ellis for Mulligan’s murder after two ended in deadlock, with mistrials declared.
When was Ellis' conviction for illegal firearm possession?
Ullman said last Tuesday that Ellis’s conviction for illegal firearm possession in 1995 was “likely flawed” and ordered a new trial for the two gun charges.
Who said this whole case is a sad chapter in the history of the criminal justice system?
The superior court justice Robert Ullman said in Boston last Tuesday: “This whole case is a very sad chapter in the history of the criminal justice system. Thankfully, this chapter seems to be nearing its conclusion.”
Why is Rachael Rollins supporting a new trial for Sean Ellis?
Rachael Rollins supports a new trial for Sean Ellis in order to drop his remaining charges. Here's what that means. Rachael Rollins supports a new trial for Sean Ellis in order to drop his remaining charges. Here’s what that means.
Who is the attorney for Ellis?
Rosemary Scapicchio, Ellis’ attorney, applauded Rollins’ decision to support the motion for a new trial during a virtual press conference Wednesday afternoon.
What did Rollins write about Mulligan's murder?
In her filing, Rollins wrote: “Corruption at the root tainted every branch of the investigation into Det ective Mulligan’s murder, including the gun possession charges.”. While there is evidence to “potentially support a firearm conviction,” prosecutors share the understanding of the Supreme Judicial Court that a jury, ...
Why did John Pappas drop the charges against Ellis?
Three years later, acting District Attorney John Pappas, Rollins’ predecessor, dropped those two charges, citing that the passage of time and the unearthed corruption compromised prosecutors’ ability to convict Ellis a second time , despite their continued belief Ellis was guilty. Advertisement:
How long was Ellis in jail?
Ellis, who maintained his innocence, was jailed for 22 years as corruption carried out by three police detectives — and allegedly Mulligan himself — who investigated the case eventually came to light.
What is the Netflix series that follows the case of Ellis?
The details of the case and Ellis’ quest to clear his name formed the basis of, “Trial 4, ” a Netflix documentary series released last year.
Who is the Suffolk County District Attorney for Sean Ellis?
Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins on Wednesday stated her support of a motion for a new trial for Sean Ellis on a firearm conviction — a move that would open the door for potentially dismissing the last remaining charges against him.
What did Sean Ellis do after his release?
Per the Justice for Sean Ellis website, Ellis' community helped him get back on his feet after his release. Church acquaintances provided him with housing while friends gave him a used car and funded his first driver's education course. He eventually got a job with Community Servings, a Boston non-profit agency that prepares and delivers meals to ill and elderly home-bound residents. In summer 2020, he was promoted to the management position of Development Associate and now works on the organization's funding and community outreach. The same summer, he was invited to join the Institute for Nonprofit Practice 's Community Fellows Program. As for his personal life, Ellis said he's "never been happier or more stable" and has a wedding planned in 2021.
Why did Ellis and Patterson kill Mulligan?
From that, the Boston Police Department concluded that Ellis and Patterson had killed Mulligan that night because they wanted his gun as a trophy. There have been numerous issues with the case. The motive that Ellis and Patterson randomly killed Mulligan just didn't ring true for jurors. It was also revealed that the key witness, Rosa Sanchez, ...
