Conviction overturned, 44 years later | Morning Newsletter
And South Jersey diners are disappearing.
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The Morning Newsletter
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Morning, Philly.
Today’s top story revisits a 2021 Inquirer investigation into the “sex for lies” scheme that, decades ago, put several Philadelphia men behind bars under tainted pretenses.
Plus: Why are so many regional diners closing? As we round the fourth anniversary of Philly-area pandemic shutdowns, these closures could be yet another sign of these strange economic times.
Let’s get into it this rainy Wednesday.
— Julie Zeglen (@juliezeglen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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A Philadelphia man returned home this week after serving 44 years in prison for murder after an informant admitted he was threatened and bribed by police into framing him.
In the late 1970s, William Franklin was convicted based on a police informant’s later-recanted testimony. A Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge recently overturned his conviction based largely on a 2020 affidavit and video statement from the person who agreed to testify against Franklin under what he said were coercive circumstances. Meanwhile, the District Attorney’s Office has filed a notice of appeal on the judge’s ruling.
Franklin was one of six men whose cases were profiled in a 2021 Inquirer investigation called “Sex for Lies” that exposed an alleged pattern of misconduct spearheaded by now-deceased homicide detectives Larry Gerrard and Ernest Gilbert: access to sex in exchange for a false testimony.
In 2022, another man, Willie Stokes, was exonerated after 38 years in prison, and in 2023 received a $9.62 million settlement with the City of Philadelphia.
Reporter Samantha Melamed describes a scene of celebrating family members outside the State Road jail when Franklin — now 77 years old — was released. Read the full story here.
A diner is a special place — unpretentious, homey, aesthetically steadfast. Visit one pretty much anywhere and you can expect strong coffee and cheap food served in large quantities. It’s classic Americana, both real and Hollywood manufactured: Tony Soprano’s booth from Holsten’s in Bloomfield just sold for a whopping $82,600 in an eBay bidding war.
But diners are also a dying breed. That’s due in part to changing consumer habits stemming from the pandemic, as well as rising supply costs and aging owners.
🥓 The latest local casualty: Diamond Diner in Burlington County. It’s South Jersey’s fifth diner to close in the past six months, following the Red Lion, Gateway, Star View, and Shamong diners. It will eventually reopen as part of the Pandora Diner chain.
☕ “COVID changed things,” said Diamond owner Gus Diamantis, 85. “People got different habits. They work from home, and they want discount prices.”
🥞 Diamantis is also ready to take a break, once working as many as 10 hours per day, seven days per week. Other operators of recently closed diners cited reasons including retirement, redevelopment, and highway construction.
Our Kevin Riordan pours one out for another beloved local haunt, and explains why its demise may be a sign of the times.
What you should know today
Dave McCormick, a Republican candidate running for U.S. Senate, is aiming to win voters’ trust and prove his Pennsylvania bonafides through a bus tour of all 67 counties — even if he does go to sleep some nights in Connecticut. Julia Terruso takes a close look at his zig-zagging campaign strategy.
We now know the name of the 17-year-old who was shot and killed while boarding a SEPTA bus in the city’s Ogontz section on Monday: Dayemen Taylor. On Tuesday night, another man was fatally shot on a SEPTA bus in South Philly.
Federal prosecutors hit U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife with new criminal charges on Tuesday, just days after a key codefendant in the couple’s corruption case pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate against them.
AI for a cure? A Penn immunologist received $48 million from the White House’s newest health agency to harness the emerging tech to help more patients with rare diseases find potential treatments through already available drugs.
Temple’s athletics department announced the largest donation in its history. The gift, which is believed to have been a multimillion-dollar offering, will lead to the endowment of the athletic director position.
Women are underrepresented in med school leadership. Drexel’s Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program has trained hundreds to run medical schools around the country.
Some Philly consumers just can’t quit the ease of click-to-door Amazon shopping, despite ethical concerns and rampant spending.
Sign me up: Some of the hottest social hubs in Philly are darts leagues and a silent book club.
🧠 Trivia time
When will the new lights on the south side of the Ben Franklin Bridge be lit?
A) Trick question: They’re already lit
B) This summer
C) This fall
D) Never
Think you know? Check your answer, courtesy our latest Curious Philly explainer. Puzzling over your own question about a regional quirk? Ask it here.
What we’re ...
🎥 Rewatching: The Oscar-nominated flicks in this Philly movies quiz.
🍩 Salivating over: The treats spotted at the newest Federal Donuts location.
🤘 Buying: Tickets to these 25 spring concerts, from Sheer Mag to Bad Bunny.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: The Travel Channel just named this Center City staple one of the best Irish bars in the country. 🍀
SEMIOLOGICAL UNSHELLED
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Laura Tobias, who correctly guessed Monday’s answer: Zack Wheeler is the Phillies pitcher who just signed a three-year, $126 million extension.
Photo of the day
Have a great Wednesday! See you back in your inbox tomorrow.
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