Story perspectives

Curtis Flowers Dies Weeks After Exoneration, Death Cause Unknown

By Drooid · Oct 9, 2026, 12:15 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Curtis Flowers, exonerated after 22 years on death row, died at 56 in Mississippi.
Coroner Allan Pratt confirmed the body was found Wednesday, with cause of death under investigation.
The U.S. Supreme Court reversed his conviction in June 2019, citing exclusion of Black jurors.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch dismissed the charges in September 2020, prompting a judge to order $500,000 compensation.

History

Historical Context

In 1986, the U.S. Supreme Court issued Batson v. Kentucky, prohibiting racial discrimination in jury selection across all criminal trials. Justice William J. Brennan authored the majority opinion, noting that excluding Black jurors undermines fairness, and the Court cited 1,000 prior cases. Curtis Flowers’ 2019 reversal echoed Batson, as the Supreme Court found Mississippi prosecutors repeatedly struck Black jurors, violating the precedent. The 2020 dismissal by Attorney General Lynn Fitch and $500,000 compensation illustrate ongoing efforts to rectify systemic bias rooted in the Batson decision.

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Story summary

Curtis Flowers, exonerated after 22 years on death row, died at 56 in Mississippi.
Coroner Allan Pratt confirmed the body was found Wednesday, with cause of death under investigation.
The U.S. Supreme Court reversed his conviction in June 2019, citing exclusion of Black jurors.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch dismissed the charges in September 2020, prompting a judge to order $500,000 compensation.

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