North Carolina Judge Gregory Weeks, who handled the 1996 murder trial of James Jordan, Michael Jordan’s father, petitioned the state’s parole commission to release Daniel Green, 49. Green was the man Judge Weeks convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison. This is a sudden turn of events as the incarcerated person is the one who usually begs for release, not the judge who convicted him. Green was only 18 years old at the time of the 1993 murder of James Jordan.
The Murder of Michael Jordan’s Father
On July 22, 1993, James Jordan was asleep in the passenger seat of his red Lexus when Green allegedly shot him dead in a robbery gone wrong. According to the Chicago Tribune, the body was discovered 11 days after the shooting in a South Carolina swamp, draped over a tree limb. Michael Jordan’s father was heading to his home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was scheduled to fly to Chicago the next day, but unfortunately, he never made it.
Based on the ABC News report, Green told them he was at a cookout with Demery. Demery told Green that he was leaving to make a drug deal. But many hours later, Demery returned to the cookout, visibly shaken. Demery asked Green for help disposing of a body. Little did he know that he was going to help Demery dispose of Michael Jordan’s father’s body.
Daniel Green and Larry Demery
Both Green and Demery were convicted in Michael Jordan’s father’s murder. However, Green has always maintained that he never pulled the trigger, and he was only an accessory, trying to help Demery cover up James Jordan’s murder. Demery, on the other hand, blamed Green for the murder. The back and forth between Green and Demery didn’t matter. The end result was that they both were convicted of first-degree murder, and they were both sentenced to life in prison.
Judge Weeks Haunted by His Decision
Over two decades later, Judge Weeks decided to do what was right for his conscience. The reason for the change of heart was the failure to reveal crucial evidence when the case was ongoing. The crucial evidence in question is a blood-like substance found in Michael Jordan’s father’s car. The forensic analyst on the case failed to report that the substance might not match Green. In addition, the other forensic tests she ran from inside the vehicle came back negative or inconclusive for blood. So, there is no conclusive proof that ties Green to the murder.
On Tuesday, Judge Weeks told the parole commission that the omission of such pivotal details has haunted him for almost three decades. As reported by ABC News, the commission is expected to deliberate for at least one month on whether to grant Green, who is now 49, parole or not, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections stated. After the hearing, advocates contacted Green and told him what the judge said. Green expressed his gratitude and deemed Week’s statement “significant,” saying, “It speaks volumes about this case.” Weeks refused to comment, saying he would await the commission’s decision.
Final Thoughts
The fact that Judge Weeks took that long to step up and speak the truth about Michael Jordan’s father’s death could be viewed from multiple perspectives. Some could be mad because he could have taken that step sooner and spared Green from his misery. However, others, including Green himself, support the judge’s move, as he eventually stepped up and spoke the truth. He could have done that earlier, but at the end of the day, better late than never.
