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Curtis Flowers, the Mississippi man whose murder conviction was overturned after a long legal fight, has died at 56. He spent nearly 23 years in custody over the deaths of four people before prosecutors dropped the charges against him.
Flowers was found dead at his home in Montgomery County, Mississippi, on Oct. 7, 2026, according to reports. His attorney, Rob McDuff, confirmed his death to The Associated Press the following day. Officials had not announced a cause of death in the reports available at publication.
A case that led to six trials
Flowers’ case began in July 1996, after four people were shot and killed at a furniture store in Winona, Mississippi. Prosecutors accused Flowers of carrying out the killings, although the weapon they said he used was never recovered. His defense team also pointed to his lack of a criminal record.
Former Montgomery County District Attorney Doug Evans prosecuted Flowers six times for the same killings. The first three convictions were overturned by the Mississippi Supreme Court, which cited prosecutorial misconduct, including racial discrimination in jury selection. Two later trials ended in mistrials.
In 2010, Flowers was convicted for a sixth time and sentenced to death. Only one of the 12 jurors was Black, even though Black residents made up more than 40% of the county’s population.
The Supreme Court overturned his conviction
Flowers’ case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned his conviction in June 2019. The court found that prosecutors had improperly excluded Black prospective jurors.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the seven-justice majority, pointed to a pattern of strikes against Black potential jurors across the trials. The court noted that 41 of 42 Black prospective jurors had been removed over the course of the six proceedings.
Flowers returned home on bail in December 2019. Evans later considered pursuing a seventh trial, but he withdrew from the case in January 2020 after Flowers’ attorneys sought his removal.
In September 2020, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch moved to dismiss the charges after reviewing the case. Fitch cited weaknesses in the available prosecution evidence, conflicting witness statements and evidence that could support other suspects.
With the charges dropped, Flowers was no longer facing prosecution for the four killings. In March 2021, a Montgomery County court ordered Mississippi to pay him $500,000 for his wrongful imprisonment.
A legal fight continued after his release
Flowers filed a lawsuit against Evans and other officials in September 2021, alleging wrongdoing in the investigation and prosecution. A federal judge dismissed the case, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit later upheld that decision.
Evans resigned as Montgomery County district attorney in June 2023 while the legal dispute was ongoing.
Flowers’ case drew national attention to the role of racial bias in jury selection and the consequences of repeated prosecutions. His conviction was overturned, the charges were dismissed, and he received compensation for the years he spent behind bars.
Flowers leaves behind his wife, Marlena Wright, his daughter, Crystal, his granddaughter, Ariel, four sisters, a brother and other relatives. His parents, Archie Lee Flowers and Lola Flowers, died before him.
His death closes a chapter in a case that raised lasting questions about fairness in the criminal justice system and the cost of wrongful imprisonment.
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