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Louis Griffin was sentenced to death for the gunshot murder of Christopher Lynn Davis.  Following Davis's death, two men were indicted for the murder, Anthony Embry and Falanda Miles, based on eyewitness testimony and other evidence.  Embry pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment while Miles was tried and acquitted of the charge.  The Davis case was then closed.

In April 1996, Griffin pleaded guilty in New York City to federal RICO law (racketeering) violations.  Griffin was the "security man" for the 142nd Street Lynch Mob Crew. The Crew supplied illegal drugs to various parts of the country, including Alabama.  As part of his plea Griffin entered into an allocation that he had participated in the Alabama murder of Davis.  As a result of this allocation, Alabama authorities exonerated Embry of Davis's murder and initiated proceedings against Griffin.

At trial, Griffin stated that he lied in federal court.  However, he was barred from presenting any evidence that after the initial police investigation, the state believed that Embry and Miles committed the murder, or that Embry entered into a valid plea agreement admitting to the murder.  This evidence was excluded because it was hearsay.  On appeal in 2000, the Alabama Supreme Court reversed Griffin's conviction due to the excluded evidence.  In 2001, Griffin was acquitted at retrial.  (Griffin v. Alabama) (Alabama's Exonerated)  [11/08]

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