Toforest Johnson

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Toforest Onesha Johnson (born February 8, 1973) is an American man formerly on death row for the 1995 murder of Jefferson County deputy sheriff William G. Hardy in Alabama. Johnson's case is controversial and his quest for a new trial has attracted widespread support, from prominent lawyers such as the original prosecutor in his case and Alabama's former attorney general to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian. Johnson was convicted based on the testimony of a single witness, Violet Ellison, who allegedly overheard Johnson confessing to the murder during a jailhouse phone call she eavesdropped on. It was later revealed that Ellison was paid $5,000 for her testimony, unbeknownst to Johnson's lawyers. Johnson's lawyers have also presented alibi evidence showing that Johnson and a friend, Ardragus Ford, were together at a nightclub miles away when the murder happened. Many, including current Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr and Johnson's original trial prosecutor Jeff Wallace, former...

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