By Scott Harvey
Paris – Two former Paris murder suspects are now seeking restitution for time spent in jail. Ryan Crostley and Shannon Finley spent nine months behind bars before new evidence led to the charges being dismissed.
The two white men were accused of killing Brandon McClelland, who is black, following a night of drinking in September, 2008. The case sparked major controversy as local civil rights activists denounced the case as a racially-inspired hate crime. Protestors even staged rallies around the Lamar County Courthouse.
Lamar County District Attorney investigator Chris Brooks, DPS Trooper Stacy McNeal and the special prosecutor in the murder case, Toby Shook are named in a lawsuit which also lists Lamar County as a defendant, accusing them of defamation, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution. The suit also claims the both Crostley and Finley were denied due process.
Meanwhile McClelland's mother, Jaqueline, continues to grieve over the loss of her son and feels before anyone else deserves justice, his murder case should be solved.