In 1972 in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, a man was killed and robbed by two men at a train station.  Based on reports from 4 members of the same family who claimed that Adams had confessed the murder to them, he, alongside another man named Harry Ambers, became the lead suspects in the case.  

 

Despite a strong alibi showing that he was with his family at the time of the crime, the case continued on with the prosecution following the testimony of jailhouse informant Wyatt Moore who benefitted from the testimony with reduced sentencing from police.  This stood as a reason for more to lie for his own benefit.  

 

Adams would be convicted based on this testimony and sentenced to death which would later be changed to a life sentence after Massachusetts changed their death penalty laws.  

 

As time went on, Moore’s story began to be looked at and proved to be faulty and inconsistent.  Additionally, a second witness recanted her testimony before she died taking away corroboration from the case.  On top of this there was a conflict of interest with Adams’ lawyer who was defending a man who would have been implicated as a suspect in the crime.  

 

All of these factors allowed for Adams to finally be exonerated in 2004 but this case shows the danger and unreliable nature of jailhouse informants as Wyatt Moore would cost Laurence Adams 30 years of his life for his own personal gain.

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