Wilson Mayor and Business Owner will Fly Ailing Anita McNeil to Georgia to Visit Husband John McNeil

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

12 September 2012  

For More Information: Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II President, 919-394-8137

Mrs. Amina J. Turner, Executive Director, 919-682-4700

For Media Assistance: Ms. Sharon Coleman, Office Communication Manager,  

919-682-4700

WILSON - Wilson Mayor Bruce Rose, Wilson business owner Jeff Chesson, Mrs. John McNeil and her sister will fly out of Wilson Airport Wednesday morning to Georgia to visit Mrs. McNeil's husband, former Fike H.S. basketball star, held in a Georgia State Prison.

North Carolina NAACP State President, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II and other state and local NAACP leaders will be on hand to bless the Mrs. McNeil's mission of justice and love, and to thank the Wilson leaders for their act of kindness to the McNeils at the Wilson Industrial Airport (4545 Airport Drive, Wilson, NC, 27896) at 8:00 AM on Wednesday.

            The visit comes two days after Rev. Barber, Mr. DuBose and National NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous visited Mr. McNeil in prison. His case is being reviewed by the courts now.

Georgia NAACP President Ed DuBose has arranged for Mrs. McNeil, who has cancer, to visit John McNeil at Macon State Prison. Mrs. McNeil's disease has added to the sense of urgency in her fight, supported by the National, North Carolina, and Georgia NAACP, to free her husband.  Mr. McNeil's mother died two months ago, without getting to see her beloved son since he was imprisoned six years ago for defending himself, his son, and his home in an upscale white suburb of Atlanta.

###

Here is more information on the case:

John McNeil, a former basketball star for Fike High School in Wilson, NC (see here for more information) has been incarcerated in Georgia prisons for 5 ½ years, for shooting an advancing trespasser just outside the back door of the McNeil family home in Cobb County, Georgia.   The McNeils were the only African American family living in the up-scale suburban community. The trespasser, who was armed and had marijuana in his vehicle, had threatened John and Anita McNeil's son minutes before with a knife, refused twice to leave the McNeil's property and continued to advance, despite a warning shot into the ground by McNeil.   

The McNeil family requested the NAACP get involved to and while there are signs of new interest in the Free John McNeil movement, his wife, Mrs. Anita McNeil of Wilson, N.C., has suffered a recurrence of cancer. She is fighting for her own life and for her husband's return to her side. She will attend the news conference.

The North Carolina and the Georgia State Conferences of the NAACP have led the struggle to free McNeil. The National NAACP has thrown its full weight behind the campaign as well. Both Rev. Barber and Mr. Ed DuBose president of the Georgia NAACP, have met with John and are committed to fighting for his life until justice is done. 

"The McNeil case is a prime example of the age-old unequal justice in the court system," said Rev. Barber. "Here we have a man who did everything right. A high school athletic and academic all-star who went on to graduate from Elizabeth City State University. An outstanding father and businessman with no criminal record. Two white police officers testified on his behalf saying it was a clear example of self-defense and was protected by castle doctrine.  It was only 275 days after the incident that the District Attorney disagreed with the police officers and decided to arrest him."

"A former Georgia Supreme Court Justice said the same thing in a powerful dissent opinion. One white eye-witness supported John's story and said he was innocent and only acted in self defense. What happened to John McNeil is an obscenity to justice. The "Castle Doctrine" doesn't appear to apply to him. In Georgia, a black man's home is not a castle, his home means nothing before the law."

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.