Houma man freed after 32 years in prison for murder advocates say he did not commit

A Houma man convicted more than 30 years ago for a murder he swore he did not commit was ordered freed from prison Wednesday as a result of a review by Orleans Parish prosecutors, a process that included an intervention by the Terrebonne NAACP.

Sherman Singleton, 53, had made numerous requests over the years to a New Orleans criminal court judge as well as the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office for reviews of his 1991 second-degree murder conviction and sentence to life in prison without parole.

During a hearing Wednesday before Orleans Parish Criminal Court Chief Judge Robin Pittman, a statement was read from the family of the victim in the case, Bruce Vappie, in which agreement with the action was expressed.

Singleton appeared on a Zoom link to the court.

“Two months ago, the Singleton family contacted me about his situation,” said Terrebonne NAACP President Jerome Boykin. “I was able to get some of the trial information and I saw a lot of red flags, that he should not be in prison, so I contacted the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Civil Rights Division.”

Boykin received a communication back indicating prosecutors agreed with the existence of “red flags” that an unjust conviction had been obtained, and shortly after that Wedneday’s hearing was placed on the docket.

In order to expedite Singleton’s release, according to statements read into the court record, Singleton entered a plea to the lower offense of manslaughter, for which the maximum sentence was at the time of his murder conviction 21 years – more than a decade longer than the time he has served already.

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As part of the package, Singleton agreed not to bring any type of civil action against the state for the additional time he served. The type of plea he entered – referred to as an “Alford Plea” – entails a defendant asserting his innocence while acknowledging that evidence might nonetheless have likely resulted in a guilty verdict.

It is similar to a plea of “no contest” and often used in cases involving post-conviction relief.

Singleton was arrested for Vapey’s murder in 1990 by disgraced former New Orleans Police Department officer Len Davis, whose report said the victim gave a “dying declaration” implicating Singleton. Davis is facing a death sentence for the murder of a witness against him, Kim Groves, in connection with his documented beating of a man. Davis was found to have been operating a protection racket through which he extorted Crescent City cocaine dealers.

A federal trial jury imposed the death penalty against Davis, who was the subject of a wide-ranging FBI investigation into NOPD corruption.

Singleton is one of several inmates imprisoned after arrests by Davis, in otherwise unrelated cases, who have been released after their cases were reviewed.

Deputy District Attorney Eileen Maw, head of District Attorney Jason Williams’ recently organized Civil Rights Division, told Judge Pittman that, upon review, her office found Singleton’s conviction as one that “that could not stand.” The freeing of Singleton, she said, was proposed “in the interests of justice.”

University of Virginia law professor Kelly Elizabeth Orians represented Singleton at the hearing. She advised the judge of Singleton’s post-release plans, which will include a relocation to Atlanta and future employment as a hot-shot delivery driver. Orians also spoke of Singleton’s exemplary record while incarcerated, which has included creation of quilts sold at Angola State Penitentiary’s annual rodeo, his dedication to duties as a hospice worker inside the prison and his earning of college associate and bachelor's degrees.

“I would never have harmed him in any way,” Singleton said of Vappie, the murder victim, with whom he was acquainted, during a statement to the judge. He also noted the many family events including birthdays of children and grandchildren, during an incarceration he noted had lasted 11,689 days.

Singleton expressed no animus toward anyone associated with the case and profusely thanked the judge for her attention to it. His most recent work assignment as a trusty has been to serve on the domestic staff of Gov. John Bel Edwards at the Governor’s Mansion.

Both the defense attorney and the prosecutor acknowledge that the plea given was one of convenience to more effectively lubricate the wheels of justice.

Singleton’s cousin, Fornell Robinson of Houma, who attended the hearing, later said he is pleased with the outcome, for the most part.

“Justice has prevailed, even though he took the plea in regard to this,” said Robinson, who praised Boykin’s efforts on behalf of Singleton.

“Mr. Boykin took the initiative to try to get this matter brought before the court in a more timely manner,” Robinson said. “We probably couldn’t have gotten it done in this expedited manner without his help “

Attorneys familiar with the operations of District Attorney Williams’ Civil Rights Division said that from the outset of his taking office, the prosecutor knew that prior instances of police corruption and prosecutorial misconduct made the review of numerous cases in Orleans Parish over several decades necessary.

Maw, the bureau chief, is the former director of the New Orleans Innocence project and was appointed to oversee the Civil Rights Division shortly after Williams took office in 2021.

Boykin plans to accompany Singleton’s family to pick him up from the Louisiana State Police barracks in Baton Rouge, where he is housed with other trusty inmates. That was expected to occur either Wednesday or Thursday.

Boykin said he was pleased that she took the time to directly look at Singleton’s case.

“There is no better feeling than helping another human being get their freedom in a case of wrongful conviction,” Boykin said.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Houma man freed from prison in murder advocates say he didn't commit