Detroit Man Who Served 17 Years for Murder Awaits New Trial After a State Prisoner Admits Guilt
Thelonious Seaercy discusses his more than 17 years in prison for a Detroit murder that hitman Vincent Smothers has said under oath he committed, what he says were a suppressed jury note and false ballistics statements at his trial, and his wait to learn whether prosecutors will retry him.
About This Episode
Detroiter Thelonious Seaercy has wrongfully served 17 years behind bars for a murder that a self-professed hitman has confessed to committing.
Despite no evidence tying him to the scene of the alleged crime, Searcy is stuck in a holding pattern. He and his lawyer await to see if the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office appeals a ruling from the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Why is he stuck under house arrest? Why doesn’t Prosecutor Worthy dismiss his charges?
Tune into this riveting episode of Open Mike to find out.
Show Notes
- Welcome to Open Mike!
- Thelonious Searcy’s background and bio.
- Welcome to the show, Thelonious. Your name came up on Episode 10 of Open Mike, and I learned about you a long time ago during the Davontae Sanford case. Your name came up because both of you were wrongfully convicted, and there’s a hitman out there doing the crimes! You’ve been out of prison since April 2021… what has life been like for you since getting out?
- The two children you mentioned — you had them even before you went to prison. How old are they? And your wife stuck by you the last seventeen years you were incarcerated?
- You’re out on bond right now waiting for a second trial. The Michigan Court of Appeals says you should be given a new trial. When you got that decision five months ago, how did you feel?
- What’s your understanding of why the Court of Appeals decided you deserve a second trial?
- What was the aspect of the case that made them decide you deserve a new trial?
- What is a 40-caliber bullet relevant?
- How did you find out that Jamal Segars was murdered?
- Although Thelonious was at a family BBQ with over a dozen alibi witnesses, he became a suspect in the case due to a jailhouse informant, whom he knew from the streets.
- Ten years after his conviction, Thelonious submitted a Brady Violation to his judge, but it was dismissed, claiming the information wasn’t new.
- That Brady Violation must have had something to do with you being granted a second trial. Is that true?
- You’re out on bond, you’re wearing a tether… Prosecutor Worthy has the ability to change her mind, but she says she wants to try you for a second time despite all these moving parts and various claims from multiple parties and admissions from hitmen… What about all the alibi witnesses, how many were called in the first trial?
- Thelonious had improper, paid representation from an attorney who is since deceased.
- Is your current attorney having discussions with Prosecutor Worthy about dismissing your second trial altogether?
- What do you think Prosecutor Worthy’s vendetta is?
- You’re confirmed to home in the meantime — do you have a trial date?
- Thelonious wrote eighteen books while he was incarcerated.
- Check out Thelonious’s book, Be First: Part 1 & 2 (Hood Novel) on Amazon!
- What do you think are the main reasons you were convicted in the first place?
- What did this alleged eyewitness, Natasha, testify to?
- You had this one eyewitness and three others who corroborated her claim … were they all there at the scene of the crime?
- You believe that the jury will believe the alleged hitman, Vincent Smothers, if he testifies and admits responsibility for this murder?
- I have a note here that says you recently graduated from Blackstone Career Institute… tell us what that is and what you hope to do with that, assuming that tether comes off!
- Amazing. Thelonious, I wish you the best of luck and I hope things go your way. Please keep us up to date on what happens! Your case was eye-opening, and I hope you keep in touch.
- Thelonious has a documentary in the works — be on the lookout for it in the next six months!
- Thelonious Searcy’s story isn’t over — we will see if Kym Worthy decides to try him a second time or drop the charges. Comment, subscribe, comment, and share this episode with your friends and family! Take care.
FAQs
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Who has confessed to the murder Thelonious Seaercy was convicted of?
According to Mike Morse, a Detroit hitman serving life in prison for multiple murders, Vincent Smothers, has said under oath several times that he is the one who killed the man Seaercy was convicted of murdering.
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Why did the Michigan Court of Appeals grant Thelonious Seaercy a new trial?
Seaercy said the court looked at a note the jury sent during deliberations saying they could not find him guilty, which he says the trial judge suppressed so it never became part of the record. It also looked at the jury being told, after the judge spoke with both attorneys, that the bullets from the victim were too deformed to identify, though evidence tags showed they had been identified as .40 caliber months before trial. The prosecutor had presented a .45 found at his grandmother’s house as the murder weapon.
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What deal did the informant against Thelonious Seaercy receive?
Seaercy said informant D’Anthony Witcher, who testified the two had an ongoing feud, received use immunity for four pounds of marijuana he was caught with when he was shot in 2003, and that deal was placed on the record. Seaercy said Witcher had also been arrested with a loaded nine millimeter a week before Seaercy’s own arrest, and that deal was never put on the record; Seaercy learned of the arrest about 10 years after his conviction through a FOIA request.
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What has Thelonious Seaercy been doing while out on bond awaiting retrial?
Seaercy recently graduated from Blackstone Career Institute and became a paralegal because, he said, he was failed by his legal representation. He wants to eventually become a lawyer and said he is willing to do a hundred pro bono cases to help people who can’t afford an attorney. He wrote 18 books while incarcerated, including “Be First” parts one and two on Amazon, and is working on a documentary about his case.
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Why hasn't Wayne County dropped the charges against Thelonious Seaercy?
Seaercy said he believes the prosecutor’s office doesn’t want to lose or face the embarrassment of dismissing a case as high-profile as his, so it would rather try him again; he said Wayne County ranks second in the United States in wrongful convictions. He also questioned why prosecutors believed Vincent Smothers in another case but not in his, and said he is ready for trial.
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