When the family of a murder victim has waited seven years for justice and closure, and that wait has rested solely on required investigative reports from the state…there is something wrong with the system.
One Yazoo family has waited seven years for an update on the case of the murder of Stanley Washington, who was 44 years old when he died after being shot multiple times. It was September of 2018 when Washington was murdered.
Osker Newton was charged with Washington’s murder. However, seven years later, the case has yet to head to a courtroom.
Why? It took five years before Washington’s autopsy was even released by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office. Two years after that, and the wait is contingent on a mental evaluation from the state. It is typical for murder cases to take a few years before a trial or other court proceedings. But seven years?
The massive backlog of court cases, autopsy reports and mental evaluations from the state of Mississippi has delayed progress on hundreds of criminal cases across the state.
This is unacceptable, and the tough talk given by state leaders to better fund the department is almost laughable at this point.
These backlog cases lead to delayed justice for families. The constitutional right to a speedy trial is threatened. There is the public safety element of the backlog with accused criminals remaining free as they await proceedings. Or consider the angle from the defendant’s perspective, waiting still the same. What if a defendant is innocent and has to endure such a long wait to clear his name?
The state backlog has essentially paralyzed the pursuit of justice.
In 2022, it was reported that state lawmakers intended to pour in millions of dollars to address backlogged cases, specifically towards hiring more pathologists. This was followed by tough talks from politicians that more funding was coming. Perhaps it was the excitement of the approaching election season, but those promises are questionable considering it’s 2025, and the backlogged cases remain an issue.
We understand the backlogged cases are an issue statewide and even nationally. But we know for certain the frustration felt by families who await justice. We have heard it personally with the tears of Stanley Washington’s family as they have begged The Herald not to forget his story.
The need for more funding within the state crime lab and medical examiner’s office might be falling on deaf ears when it comes to our lawmakers and politicians. One must wonder if they are hoping individual counties and municipalities will take on the expense themselves.
The seven years of waiting for closure for the Washington family, and hundreds of others across our state, is unacceptable.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
