A plea deal is now in place for Michael Wearry, a former death row inmate who maintained he was innocent in the 1998 killing of 16-year-old Eric Walber. Wearry will now serve 25 years in prison. Walber was robbed, beaten, and run over with his own car after wrapping up his pizza delivery shift in April 1998. Wearry was among six people convicted in the death, but his sentence was overturned by the US Supreme Court in 2016. In audio from the Daily Star in Hammond, District Attorney Scott Perrilloux says the timing of the event and arrest made it a difficult case.
“The arrest wasn’t made until April 2000, so it was a cold case when the case was delivered to the DA’s office back then,” said Perrilloux.
Perrilloux said even prior to the case, there was plenty of discussion as to whether enough evidence was present to prosecute.
“There was no physical evidence that linked any of these defendants to this crime. There wasn’t back in ’98, none in 2000, and none as of today,” said Perrilloux.
Perrilloux said attempting to retry a case likely would prove to be a difficult task. As for his opinion of Wearry, he put it bluntly.
“My personal opinion is that he rots in hell, but my professional decision is what I think was in the best interest of this entire case,” said Perrilloux.
Wearry will receive credit for time served since March 4, 1999.
