In a significant acknowledgment of past injustices, the city of Boston has agreed to pay a $150,000 settlement to two Black men, Alan Swanson and Willie Bennett, who were wrongfully linked to the 1989 murder of Carol Stuart, a pregnant white woman. The case originally captivated national attention after Stuart’s husband, Charles Stuart, falsely claimed that a Black man had shot both him and his wife during a carjacking. Swanson and Bennett were implicated, with Bennett eventually being publicly identified by Stuart, though neither man was formally charged.
It was later revealed that Charles Stuart had orchestrated the crime. Carol died from her injuries, and their baby, delivered prematurely, also passed away. Charles Stuart died by suicide months later when his story unraveled, sparking outrage and racial tensions due to the targeting of Boston’s Black communities.
Mayor Michelle Wu issued a formal apology in 2023, denouncing the ordeal as unjust and racist. Under the settlement, Bennett will receive $100,000, while Swanson is awarded $50,000. The payments come more than a year and a half after the mayor’s apology, reflecting the city’s commitment to addressing past wrongs.
This case has brought renewed attention to the long-standing racial tensions between Boston’s Black community and law enforcement. The wrongful accusations and subsequent settlement underscore the need for continued efforts toward justice and reconciliation.