BACKGROUND: (From a previous post of this Blog) March 25, 2025: "Grimm was a 20-year-old Navy veteran, fresh off a 9-hour work shift, when Richmond police officers took him in for 10 hours of unrecorded questioning on Dec. 16, 1975, according to court records. Weeks before, on Nov. 26, the body of a three-year-old boy that lived in the same apartment building as Grimm and his wife had been found nine miles away on the banks of the James River after having been reported missing four days prior, according to court records. An autopsy revealed grisly details in the child’s death — including that he died from choking after being sexually assaulted and that he had “high amounts” of drugs and alcohol in his body at the time of his death. While no evidence had linked Grimm to the child — aside from proximity and arguments he’d had with the child’s father — he was convicted in 1976 on murder, abduction and sodomy charges, according to court records. It is now believed that Grimm was coerced to make a confession and plead guilty, and that evidence was withheld to support his plea, according to court records. Three days prior to his guilty plea, evidence was made available to the Commonwealth that should have dropped all charges. “Had Richmond and Commonwealth officials not intentionally withheld exonerating evidence, intentionally mischaracterized evidence, and intentionally and falsely threatened the death penalty which was not available, Mr. Grimm would not have been charged with or convicted of these horrific crimes,” the recently signed bill reads."
QUOTES OF THE DAY: "Harper's family says they never expected to be left without answers 50 years later but remain determined to keep fighting for justice. "I feel like it's something I have to do. The person who did it will be held accountable today. It won't be by me, but he or she has to answer to what they did," said Sarah Martin, Christopher Harper's brother. Mayor Danny Avula issued a statement Monday saying he was pleased city council took this step, adding: "Nothing can restore the decades of life he lost, we are committed to taking action and moving swiftly to see this through." The legislation will now go before a city council committee for review and discussion. A full council vote is set for Sept. 8."
STORY: "Richmond City Council address $5.8 million payment for man wrongfully imprisoned 45 years," by Reporters Maggi Marshall and Cameron, published bye BS News 6, on August 25, 2025. Maggi Marshall joined the CBS 6 team in February 2022. Cameron Thompson is a reporter and anchor for CBS 6. He joined CBS 6 in January of 2019 after working in Washington, D.C. for a number of years. Thompson joined DCW News at 10 when it launched in April 2016. Prior to that, he was a reporter and anchor for WNEW 99.1 FM in Washington, D.C. covering the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area."
GIST: RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond City Council introduced legislation Monday outlining how the city plans to pay $5.8 million to a man who spent 45 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit.
Marvin Grimm was exonerated in 2024 by DNA evidence after being wrongfully imprisoned for the 1975 murder of 3-year-old Christopher Harper, who was found dead on the banks of the James River.
Grimm has said he was pressured to confess to the crime.
"At the station, police spent nearly 10 hours trying to get me to confess. I was not allowed to eat anything, drink anything, or call my wife to let her know I was okay. They were loudly insistent. They threatened me with the death penalty," Grimm told state lawmakers at a hearing earlier this year.
"The Grimm family has truly been done an injustice, and both the city and the state is obligated to be responsive to that," said Councilwoman Ellen Robertson after Monday's meeting.
The city is proposing Grimm's $5.8 million payment come from the delinquent tax sales special fund, which holds proceeds from the sale of tax delinquent properties, according to a memo from Odie Donald, the city's newly appointed chief administrative officer.
Donald told city council this was the best option, adding he strongly advised against using the rainy day fund because it could negatively impact the city's credit rating.
"It's the right thing to do," Robertson said.
The push to find the money comes after a July letter from Governor Glenn Youngkin demanding the city pay Grimm or risk having funds withheld. The city had not yet followed a new state law that took effect July 1, which required localities to match state payments in cases of official misconduct. Grimm himself lobbied for that law during this year's General Assembly session.
"I lost 96% of my adult life," Grimm said. "I missed out on all the things that most folks take for granted. Weddings, birthdays, family trips, and holidays with family."
Grimm was imprisoned for the murder of Christopher Harper, who was found fully clothed 9 miles from his home. Grimm says he confessed after being coerced by police following hours of interrogation and pled guilty because he was scared of the death penalty.
The state forensic scientist that handled his case has had decades of work called into question.
"It's unfortunate that we are just finding out about the Grimm family and what they have experienced," Robertson said.
Harper's family says they never expected to be left without answers 50 years later but remain determined to keep fighting for justice.
"I feel like it's something I have to do. The person who did it will be held accountable today. It won't be by me, but he or she has to answer to what they did," said Sarah Martin, Christopher Harper's brother.
Mayor Danny Avula issued a statement Monday saying he was pleased city council took this step, adding: "Nothing can restore the decades of life he lost, we are committed to taking action and moving swiftly to see this through."
The legislation will now go before a city council committee for review and discussion. A full council vote is set for Sept. 8."
The entire story can be read at:
https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/richmond-city-council-marvin-grimm-aug-25-2025
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.
SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG, AT THE LINK BELOW: HL:
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985
———————————————————————————————
FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
—————————————————————————————————
FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
-------------------------------------------------------------------
