Lloyd Prevost

Macomb County, MI

Lloyd Prevost

Dec 24, 1919

Lloyd Prevost was convicted murdering his wife's cousin and best friend, J. Stanley Brown. Brown was found dead in his car on Drefahl Road, 3 miles west of Mount Clemens. Brown had been shot four times. The coroner placed the time of death at about 11 p.m. The prosecution alleged that Prevost had left his hotel room with Brown at 10:30 p.m. on the night of the murder and had returned alone at 2 a.m. after the murder. The case had the direct assistance of state Attorney General Alexander Groesbeck, who later became Governor. The Michigan Department of Public Safety reinvestigated the case in the fall of 1930.

In its report the DPS indicated the following: (1) For weeks prior to the trial, prosecution witnesses were thoroughly drilled in midnight sessions by the Attorney General. The Prosecuting Attorney told the DPS that he "did not believe Prevost was guilty of the crime," and that the conviction was obtained largely through the overawing influence of the Attorney General with the jury. (2) The testimony of a taxi driver who said he saw Prevost with Brown after 10:30 p.m. was perjured. (3) The testimony of the ballistics expert was mistaken, for the revolver presented at trial could not have been the murder weapon. (4) The killer's footprints in the snow were made by rubbers, not by army shoes as alleged by the prosecution. Prevost admitted wearing army shoes on the night of the murder. However, his feet were too small to have made the footprints had he been wearing rubbers. (5) The testimony of the hotel proprietress that Brown had returned to the hotel at 2 a.m. was perjured.

One might also surmise that the testimony of the ballistics expert was knowingly perjured for he claimed to have determined that when last fired the alleged murder weapon was fired four times. In addition to the DPS report, convincing information seems to have been presented to the authorities indicating rather pointedly who the true perpetrators were. In view of all the facts and circumstances, it was concluded that Prevost was innocent. Governor Fred W. Green pardoned Prevost in Dec. 1930. (CTI) [11/07]