Herman Wallace, Released ‘Angola 3’ Member, Passed Away At 71

Herman Wallace, 71 year old member of “Angola 3” from Louisiana, who spent 41 years in solitary confinement has died of liver cancer on Friday.

He was set free by a federal judge on Tuesday ruling his 1974 murder conviction violated his right to a fair trial. Herman Wallace, a member of the so-called “Angola 3,” who served more time in solitary confinement than any other inmate.
Wallace died at his friend’s home with his beloved ones on his bedside. Wallace told them, “I Love You All” revealed his attorney Jackie Sumell.

“He was in and out of consciousness,” she said.

Angola 3 is a group of three peoples- Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox and Robert King who were sentenced to solitary confinement in Louisiana Penitentiary i.e. Angola Prison, after the 1972 murder of a prison guard Brent Miller. Robert King spent 29 years in confinement and his conviction was reverted and he was released. Wallace, was released on October 1, 2013, and Woodfox spent 40 years of sentence as of 2013.

Herman’s Attorneys were ecstatic to represent him in the courtroom.

“Herman endured what very few of us can imagine, and he did it with grace, dignity, and empathy to the end,” they said. “Although his freedom was much too brief, it meant the world to Herman to spend these last three days surrounded by the love of his family and friends. One of the final things that Herman said to us was, ‘I am free. I am free.'”

Major International agencies like Amnesty International have blamed Louisiana prison authorities of putting Wallace “through hell”.
“No one should have to endure 40-plus years in solitary confinement… It’s some small consolation that [Wallace] died a free man after the conviction was finally overturned,” said Amnesty International campaigner Tessa Murphy.

Protesters were demanding to release Herman on Humanitarian grounds for years.