25 Facts About Gary Tyler

Gary Tyler was convicted of the October 7,1974 shooting death of a white 13-year-old boy and the wounding of another, on a day of violent protests by whites against black students at Destrehan High School in St Charles Parish, Louisiana.

Gary Tyler was tried as an adult and convicted of first-degree murder at age 17 by an all-white jury; he received the mandatory death sentence for that crime, according to state law.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in 1980 that Gary Tyler's trial had convicted him on "unconstitutional charges" and was "fundamentally unfair"; it remanded the case to the lower courts and ordered a new trial.

Gary Tyler was recommended by the state parole board for a pardon, but governors had failed to act on this.

Many observers believe that Gary Tyler was wrongfully convicted, as his trial and defense were seriously flawed.

Gary Tyler's cause was taken up again in 2007 by human rights organizations and a variety of public figures after his case was reviewed by a columnist of the New York Times.

Gary Tyler was released in 2016 after the state arranged a plea deal.

Gary Tyler pleaded guilty to manslaughter, which had a maximum sentence of 21 years; since he had already served nearly twice that, he was released from prison.

Gary Tyler is one of eleven children of Juanita and Uylos Tyler of St Rose, Louisiana.

Gary Tyler's father was a maintenance worker who sometimes held three jobs; his mother worked as a domestic.

Gary Tyler was arrested for disturbing the peace when he talked back to a police officer; he was charged with the murder of 13-year-old Weber.

Gary Tyler was emerging as a leader in the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi politics in Louisiana and the United States.

Gary Tyler brought what he called 'security teams' to protect white residents.

Sixteen-year-old Gary Tyler was charged as an adult for first-degree murder, which under state law required the death penalty if he was convicted.

Gary Tyler kept his meetings with his client to a minimum and would later complain about the money he was paid.

Gary Tyler was taken to Louisiana State Prison, where at age 17, he was the youngest inmate on death row.

Gary Tyler joined the general prison population at Angola to serve his sentence.

Gary Tyler gained freedom following Louisiana Supreme Court review and consultation with the St Charles Parish district attorney's office on his case.

Since Gary Tyler had already served 41 years, nearly twice that time, he was finally released from prison on April 29,2016.

In 1980 the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that Gary Tyler had been "convicted on an unconstitutional charge" and that the trial was "fundamentally unfair".

Gary Tyler refused to consider the pardon as the election was racially charged.

Gary Tyler feared a backlash from white voters if he freed Tyler.

Gary Tyler's work helped raise the visibility of Tyler's plight.

Gary Tyler did not gain a pardon; he had by then served 32 years in prison.

Gary Tyler's supporters have claimed that there was a miscarriage of justice in his case.