Song review: Nanci Griffith - Not Innocent Enough

Het lied gaat over Philip Workman die in 1982 ter dood veroordeeld werd vanwege moord op een politie agent in bij een restaurant in Memphis. De doodstraf werd in 2007 voltrokken door middel van een dodelijke injectie.

Het is altijd onzeker geweest (en nog!) of Philip daadwerkelijke de agent neer geschoten heeft. Wat wel vaststaat is dat hij het Wendy reataurant heeft willen beroven.

Een citaat:
"During the robbery, an employee of the restaurant triggered a silent alarm after Workman granted her request to stand up to relieve a cramp in her leg. Three Memphis police officers, Ronald Oliver, Aubrey Stoddard, and Steven Parker, responded to the alarm. Upon their arrival, Workman attempted to flee across a nearby parking lot, but tripped on a curb and was cornered by the officers. Workman claimed he then attempted to surrender but, as he was pulling his gun from his pants to give it to the officers, he was struck on the head with a flashlight. As a result of the blow, Workman claims that he involuntarily discharged the gun twice, once in the air, and then at a person who had fired at him. Police returned fire. A bullet from a shotgun struck Workman in the buttocks, but he managed to evade capture for a time. Lt. Ronald Oliver was shot and killed."

Nog een citaat:
"Ballistics experts have questioned whether the bullet which killed Lt. Oliver could have come from Workman's gun.
Dr. Cyril Wecht verklaarde:The gunshot wound to Lt. Ronald D. Oliver is not consistent with the type of ammunition used by Mr. Philip R. Workman. I do not believe that it was Mr. Workman's gun that fired the shot that fatally wounded Lt. Oliver"