Innocent Black teen was executed for school matron’s death 93 years ago. Now family sues
.png "In 1931, a Black 16-year-old boy, Alexander McClay Williams was sentenced to death for the murder of a White school matron, 34-year-old Vida Robare. Now, 93 years later, his family is suing after his innocence was proven and his conviction was overturned.")
In 1931, a 16-year-old Black boy, Alexander McClay Williams was sentenced to death for the murder of a white school matron, 34-year-old Vida Robare. Now, 93 years later, his family is suing after his innocence was proven and his conviction was overturned.
Delaware County, Pennsylvania, is listed as a defendant in the case along with Louis A. Bloom, who was the assistant district attorney at the time, Oliver N. Smith, who was the chief county detective and Michael Trestrall, who was the county detective.
McClatchy News reached out to attorneys for the defendants but did not immediately hear back.
In 1930, Robare was a matron at the Glenn Mills School in Delaware County, to the southwest of Philadelphia. Her husband, Fred Robare, also worked there. The two shared an apartment on school grounds with their 10-year-old son. The building also housed 48 boys between 11 and 14 years old in two large rooms, according to a lawsuit filed May 17 by Williams’ family.
On Oct. 3, Fred Robare found his wife dead in their apartment. She had been stabbed 47 times, according to the lawsuit
“The victim was found partially dressed. There was an open magazine on her bed and a partially eaten pear. She was stabbed with an ice pick, with fatal wounds to her heart and lungs, which were determined to be the cause of death. Other stab wounds were identified on the victim’s face, back, arms, and hands,” the lawsuit said.
She also had a skull fracture and broken ribs.
According to the lawsuit, authorities believed Robare was killed sometime between 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. There were no witnesses to the killing and no one was seen leaving her apartment building.
“There is no further documentation about what happened in the victim’s apartment between the time that (her son) came home and the time that Fred discovered the body,” the lawsuit said.
Questioning Alexander McClay Williams
Detectives decided to question Williams, who attended the school, after they “reviewed the ranks of Glenn Mills’ students,” the lawsuit said. Williams initially denied having anything to do with Robare’s death, but after being interrogated five to six times, he confessed to the crime on three occasions.
However, the lawsuit said that the defendants in the case “coerced and threatened Mr. Williams into making a made-up confession which was later misrepresented as voluntary.”
Ultimately, Williams was charged with Robare’s death and on Jan. 7, 1931, he was found guilty. He was sentenced to death by electric chair. A request for a new trial was denied and on June 8, he was executed, the lawsuit said.
Ignored evidence
“It is clear that by October 7, just three days after the murder, Defendants were no longer considering any suspect besides Alexander McClay Williams,” the lawsuit said. “There was no physical or forensic evidence that connected Mr. Williams with the crime. On the contrary, there were numerous pieces of evidence and other circumstances that conclusively demonstrate Mr. Williams’ innocence.”
The lawsuit points to the physical attributes of Robare and Williams. Robare was 5’6” and had an “athletic build,” according to the court document. Williams was 5’5” and weighed less than the school matron. Therefore, the lawsuit argues Robare would have been able to overpower Williams had he attacked her.
Another piece of evidence the lawsuit said was overlooked was Williams’ whereabouts during the time of Robare’s death.
A school employee testified at trial that on the day of the murder, Wiliams and several other kids were working with him hauling cinders on a road. He said Williams was sent to do several tasks, including dropping off a receipt five blocks away. The lawsuit said it took him 20 minutes, which would not have left him enough time to kill Robare and return, the lawsuit said.
It also said when Williams returned from completing the task, there was no blood on his clothing, and nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
“In order for the crime to have been committed in the manner argued by the Commonwealth, Williams would have had to break through two locked doors to access Vida Robare’s apartment, without knowing the whereabouts of her husband, then upon being discovered by the victim, he would have had an argument with her, located the ice pick, engaged in a struggle and then covered up his involvement, all in the span of twenty minutes,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit also said that there’s no confirmation that Robare’s husband was ever investigated for the crime. Fred Robare was taller and heavier than Vida, giving him a greater chance to overpower her, the Williams’ family attorney said. He had access to the apartment and earlier in their marriage, in 1921, Vida had filed for divorce from Fred, citing “extreme cruelty,” according to the lawsuit.
Overturned conviction
At the time of Williams’ trial, William H. Ridley was appointed to represent him, the lawsuit said.
Almost a century later, Ridley’s great-grandson, Samuel Lemon, would research and investigate the case and publish a book in 2015 titled “The Case that Shocked the Country.”
“That book helped form the basis for Williams’ 2022 exoneration when the Delaware County Court vacated his conviction,” Williams’ family attorney Michael Pomerantz told McClatchy News.
On June 13, 2022, a Pennsylvania judge granted a motion calling for a new trial for Williams. After that motion was granted, District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer announced that the prosecution would not seek to retry Williams, according to court documents.
“Sadly, we cannot undo the past. We cannot rewrite history to erase the egregious wrongs of our forebearers. However, when, as here, justice can be served by publicly acknowledging such a wrong, we must seize that opportunity.
”Over ninety years have passed since this young man’s conviction. Despite the passage of time, we believe it is in the interest of justice and in upholding the integrity of our courts that we do what is in our power to do to remedy this wrong. It is my hope that with today’s action the family of Alexander McClay Williams and of his defense attorney, William H. Ridley, can be at peace,” Stollsteimer said.
The lawsuit is asking for an undetermined amount in damages.
This story was originally published May 21, 2024 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Innocent Black teen was executed for school matron’s death 93 years ago. Now family sues."
