The companion resource to the Wrongful Conviction podcast

The Case of Willie Timmy Donald

πŸ“» Episode #301 πŸŽ™οΈ Hosted by Jason Flom πŸ“… Thu, 20 Oct 2022 πŸ“ Indiana
Exonerated

The Case

On February 27, 1992, Bernard Jiminez, along with his wife, Kimberly Belinsky, and three children were robbed at gunpoint in a neighborhood in Gary, Indiana. Bernard and the gunman struggled and Bernard was fatally shot. Belinsky selected 23-year-old Willie β€œTimmy” Donald out of a photo lineup believing he was the gunman. Another woman who was robbed in her home that same day selected Donald as well. Both women described their robbers similarly, they mentioned that the man had a severely scarred complexion, while Donald had no acne or other scars on his face. At the time of the robberies, Donald was car shopping with his sister and her partner. They both testified as to Donald’s whereabouts that day as did the car salesmen. With no physical or forensic evidence tying Donald to the crime, he was still charged and convicted of first-degree murder and two counts of armed robbery, and sentenced to 60 years in prison.

Resources & Links

Listen to the Episode

Episode #301 of the Wrongful Conviction podcast β€” hosted by Jason Flom

πŸ”Š How You Can Help

If Willie is still fighting for justice, your voice matters. Consider sharing this case on social media, signing any active petitions, or contacting your representatives about wrongful conviction reform.

About the Wrongful Conviction Podcast

The Wrongful Conviction podcast, hosted by Jason Flom and Khaliah Ali (daughter of Muhammad Ali), has featured over 500 cases of men and women who spent years β€” sometimes decades β€” in prison for crimes they did not commit. The podcast has been downloaded over 70 million times and has directly influenced exonerations, clemencies, and criminal justice reform legislation across the country.