Judge seeks freedom for man convicted of Jordan murder
A judge from North Carolina, who presided over the 1996 trial concerning the murder of James Jordan, the father of famous basketball player Michael Jordan, is demanding the release of Daniel Green, the man convicted of the crime.
11:03 AM EDT, October 18, 2024
Recall that in 1993, James Jordan was shot during a robbery while he was sleeping in his car. An 18-year-old Green was convicted of the murder and has been serving a life sentence since then.
Green's case has been brought back to attention after Judge Gregory Weeks, who conducted the 1996 trial, filed a petition with the parole board. According to the judge, a key piece of evidence was not revealed during that trial—the analysis of a substance that appeared to be blood found in James Jordan's car, which later turned out might not have been blood.
According to ABC, Weeks believes that this fact could have significantly influenced the verdict in Green’s case. The convict himself has long claimed he did not kill James Jordan but only helped his friend, Larry Demery, hide the victim's body.
Demery, who was also convicted of involvement in the murder, testified in 1996 that it was Green who fired the fatal shot.
In a phone conversation with ABC News, Green expressed deep gratitude for Judge Weeks' actions, calling it a "significant" decision that "speaks volumes" about his innocence.
Weeks admitted to the parole board that he "had never been haunted in such a manner as he was haunted by this case."
Will Jordan’s father’s killer be freed? Michael lived a nightmare
James Jordan died in 1993. His body was found 11 days after the murder in the swamps of South Carolina. The tragic death of his father deeply affected Michael Jordan, who, shortly after the event, announced a break in his NBA career to fulfill his father's dream of playing baseball.
