JACKSON, Mich. March 24, 2026 – Cooley Law School’s Innocence Project, in partnership with the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit, has secured the release of Dell Crawford, of Detroit, after spending 17 years in prison for being wrongfully convicted of second-degree murder.
On March 24, Wayne County Circuit Judge Tracy Green vacated Crawford’s second-degree murder conviction and sentence, and dismissed the charge without prejudice. Crawford is represented by Cooley Innocence Project attorneys Jessa Webber and Niquole Caringi.
While speaking to the court Caringi said that DNA evidence excluded Crawford from the crime.
“Mr. Crawford has served 17 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections for a crime he did not commit,” said Caringi. “At the time of trial, there was no physical evidence implicating Mr. Crawford, and the case was based largely on the changing statements of a witness. The DNA exclusion under the victim’s fingernails demonstrates what Mr. Crawford has been telling us for the last 17 years: That he had nothing to do with this crime.”
“We can’t give you back that time, but we can certainly try to do the best that we can to right wrong,” said Judge Green. “Your conviction was not the only tragedy here. There is perhaps someone out there who has gotten away with the murder of Miss Williams and that is almost has disturbing as the amount of time you have spent in prison as an innocent man.”
During the hearing in Green’s courtroom, Crawford spoke via video conference from Jackson State Prison.
He said, “I would like to thank some people for all the hard work they have put in on this case. Valerie Newman (director, Wayne county Conviction Integrity Unit), Kym Worthy (prosecutor, Wayne County) Cooley Innocence Project, Jessa Webber (Cooley Innocence Project) and Niquole Caringi (Cooley Innocence Project). I would like to thank them for all the hard work and time listening to me. And thank you your honor.”
On Sept. 10, 2007, Dell Crawford went to the home of Tatanisha “Joy” Williams in Detroit after not being able to get in touch with her and discovered her body inside her home. Crawford had to get help from a friend to enter Willams’ home, as there was a key broken off in the lock. Upon entering the home, the two men discovered Williams’ body along with two of her children. Crawford called 911 and took the children to their grandmother’s house.
Wayne County Medical Examiner’s conducted an autopsy and determined the cause of death to be brain injuries from being struck in the head. They also noted the presence of defensive wounds on the fingers of both of her hands. DNA testing at the time of trial did not detect the presence of male DNA under the victim’s fingernails.
Crawford’s conviction was based on testimony from an unreliable witness whose story changed multiple times over the course of the investigation and prosecution.
During Crawford’s trial, the jury acquitted Crawford of first-degree murder, but convicted him of second-degree murder. The court sentenced him to 20 years and 10 months to 45 years in prison.
The Cooley Innocence Project, through its collaboration with the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit, was able to obtain DNA testing of evidence collected during the original investigation. In October 2024, the victim’s fingernails were submitted for DNA testing at a private laboratory where they were processed for male DNA. A mixture of at least two males were found under the victim’s fingernails. The laboratory excluded Crawford as a contributor to the major male DNA profile.
“As we all know, nothing and no one can give Mr. Crawford those lost years back,” Caringi added. “But I’m honored to stand before you today, prepared to welcome him back to the community that he was taken from. I’ve been working with him for some time now and have seen what an intelligent, kind and entrepreneurial man he is, and I know the community is going to gain a lot if he is welcomed back into it. The support that he has around him today from family and friends, staff of the Cooley Innocence Project, and members of the organization of exonerees speaks to what a special individual he is and the continued support he will have as he makes his transition back into society. Today, we are grateful to the court for considering and correcting a great injustice.”
Crawford’s exoneration marks the Cooley Innocence Project’s 10th exoneration in their 25-year history. The Cooley Innocence Project is part of the Innocence Network, which has been credited with the release of over 375 wrongfully convicted prisoners, mainly through the use of DNA testing. Established in 2001, the Cooley Innocence Project is the only post-conviction DNA innocence organization in Michigan.
Since its inception, the office has screened over 6,000 cases and is responsible for the exoneration of ten individuals: Kenneth Wyniemko (2003), Nathaniel Hatchett (2008), Donya Davis (2014), LeDura Watkins (2017), Kenneth Nixon (2021), Gilbert Poole (2021), Corey Quentin McCall (2021), George DeJesus (2022), Louis Wright (2023), and most recently, Dell Crawford. In addition, the Cooley Innocence Project has helped to exonerate Lacino Hamilton, Ramon Ward, Terance Calhoun, and Crystal Mulherin, Duane Williams, and George Calicut Jr.
