“I feel blessed”: Jacksonville men who had life sentences tossed after 42 years plan time with family

Jacksonville, FL — “Right now, I feel blessed.”

They’re simple words, but among the first that Nathan Myers said as a free man for the first time in 42 years.

“I’m not bitter for what happened to me,” he says.

Myers was just 18-years-old when he and his uncle, then-34-year-old Clifford Williams Jr. were arrested for murder and attempted murder in connection to a double shooting in 1976. Myers was sentenced to life in prison and Williams was sentenced to death, although that was later overturned by the Florida Supreme Court and a life sentence was instead imposed.

Now, both men have had those convictions and sentences vacated.

IN DEPTH: Why convictions and life sentenced for two Jacksonville men have been thrown out

“I give all my praise to Jesus Christ, because if it wasn’t for putting them in my life, I’d still be sitting in Sumter County today, because no one listened to me,” he says.

Myers is speaking about State Attorney Melissa Nelson and Conviction Integrity Review Division Director Shelley Thibodeau, who’s investigation led to the release of him and Williams. Myers learned about the CIR, and the letter he sent about his case stood out to Thibodeau. They were in touch as the CIR was formally established in early 2018, and the men’s case is the first the CIR has handled to lead to defendants walking free.

“I’m able to get back to my family, and I’m happy, you know. I thank everybody who was involved in this here, you know. And that’s about it,” he says.

The CIR was the first established in the State, and its design is to investigate plausible claims of innocence.

“When we created this unit, we did not know where this endeavor would lead or to what cases it would actually direct us. The effort brings us here today,” Nelson says.

Myers’ letter had specific claims that could be tested, and the subsequent ten-month investigation came up with troubling results. There were dozens of alibi witnesses that never testified, physical evidence that was never presented to the jury despite it contradicting the surviving victim’s story, inconsistencies among that story over time and between the story and evidence, and- ultimately- the confession of another man who is believed to have been responsible for the double shooting.

“We took our time, and that time- every question, every meeting, every draft, and every discussion about this case- was another night that each of you remained incarcerated. So lastly, to you Nathan and to you Clifford, thank you for your patience as we went about our work. But, as we took our time ass we do in all pending cases, we did so to ensure you can have full confidence in what we have done,” Nelson says.

While it required patience, Myers says it was someone willing to fight. He says when he thought all of his legal options had been exhausted, he briefly lost hope, but a friend who was also in prison convinced him to keep fighting, so he did.

“All I want to do now is get a chance to go out and be that man that I built into myself,” he says.

The man who reportedly confessed to the shooting has since died. The surviving victim has died as well.

Nelson says failing to hold the guilty accountable or convicting the innocent are serious errors, but the CIR is designed to right those wrongs.

“Human systems will always be plagued with human error. What we do when confronted with those errors, we hope, will be the standard by which this office will be judged,” she says.

In a brief statement from Williams, he got emotional thinking about how he wanted to be with family when his mother died, which was during the several years he spent on death row. Myers says he hopes to bring his family back together now and make it stronger.

“And everything else is second,” he says.

He says it is nerve-wracking to look at getting back in to the real world, and he continues to look over his shoulder for an officer or someone else who would tell him what to do. This was evident just moments after the convictions and sentences were vacated in court- Myers and Williams exchanges a long and emotional hug, and then Nelson told them to go be with family who had crowded in to the courtroom. Their response to her was questioning if that was allowed.

Myers is hopeful he just needs some time.

“I think I’ll be alright,” he says.

While this is the first CIR case that has led to this outcome, it’s possible it won’t be the last. In its first year last year, the CIR received more than 200 contacts from people asking about reviews.

“The CIR has no desire to lend aid to the guilty, but will thoroughly review claims of actual innocence,” Nelson says.

The State Attorney’s Office says 60 of those led to formal petitions, which resulted in 14 investigation. Of those 14, six have been turned down. The status of the remaining seven- with the case of Myers and Williams excluded- is unclear.