“MIKE D” DEGRAFFENRIED (2nd from l) AND FAMILY: (l to r) cousin Edward, Jr., mother Evonne, stepfather Johnny, after conviction vacated Aug. 20, 2025
AFTER 26 YEARS, MICHAEL DEGRAFFENRIED HOME AFTER JUDGE TRACY E. GREEN VACATED WRONGFUL CONVICTION AUG. 20, 2025
THE FIGHT GOES ON: Wayne Co. Prosecutor appealed Sept. 25, new trial pre-hearing Thurs. Oct. 9, 2025 at 9 am; trial on Tues. Nov 11, 2025 in 3rd Circuit Court Judge Tracy E. Green’s courtroom #506 Wayne Co. CJC Criminal Division 5301 Russell Street Detroit, MI 48211
INKSTER SGT./OIC DARIAN K. WILLIAMS extorted Michigan and Illinois drug dealers during Mike D’s trial, 1999-2001, convicted by Feds 2003
Willie Wimberley testifies on October 8, 2024.
Willie Wimberly, 16-yr. old victim of 1999 Inkster drive-by shooting that killed one, injured two, testified Oct. 8, 2024 at evidentiary hearing that Mike D was not the shooter, as he told Williams and Sgt. Gregory Hill at the time; he also swore a prosecution witness (his cousin) was NOT at the scene at time of the shooting.
Mother of Mike D’s son Semaje was co-defendant, swore in affidavit and Walker hearing that Williams and Hill coerced false confession with threats after 81-hr. arraignment delay, refused to implicate Mike D.
Willie Wimberly affidavit MDegraffenried case http://voiceofdetroit.net/wp-content/uploads/Willie-Wimberly-affidavit-MDegraffenried-case.pdf.
By Diane Bukowski
September 30, 2025
Judge Tracy E. Green
DETROIT– Inkster’s Michael ‘Mike D’ Degraffenried finally won his freedom after 26 years in prison, on August 20, 2025. Third Judicial Circuit Court Judge Tracy E. Green vacated his convictions/sentences on charges of 2nd-degree murder, and two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm related to a drive-by shooting in Inkster on Feb. 15, 1999.
The prosecution appealed Sept. 25. A pre-trial date is set for Oct. 9, and new trial for Nov. 11 before Judge Green, Rm. 506, Wayne Co. Criminal Justice Center, 5301 Russell, Detroit, MI. 48211.
‘Mike D’ Degraffenried
During months of evidentiary hearings, defense attorney Tiffany Howell presented testimony from Willie Wimberly, 16 years old at the time, who was one of the two men injured. He swore that Degraffenried was NOT the shooter, as he told Sgts. Darian K. Williams and Gregory Hill in 1999 after the shooting. He also testified that a prosecution witness (his cousin) was not even present at the scene during the shooting.
Private investigator Vicki Yost (formerly chief of the Inkster PD) testified about the misconduct records of Inkster police officers in charge of the case. The case even involved a “ghost” victim who claimed to have been shot by Degraffenried, but no medical records confirm that.
Records show that Sgt. Darian K. Williams, the ‘Officer in Charge’ of Degraffenried’s case, was robbing and extorting drug dealers across Michigan, using his police car while on duty, from 1999 through 2001, during the course of Degraffenried’s trial. Williams was convicted in 2003. It is unclear how Wayne Co. Asst. Prosecutor Deborah Blair plans to present any case in a new trial against Degraffenried, considering the appalling account below.
Inkster Sgts. Gregory Hill and Anthony Abdallah also played key roles in constructing the case against Degraffenried, as they did in the cases of several other men, now exonerated. Tiya Manning, the mother of Degraffenried’s son Semaje, testified at a Walker hearing seeking to toss out a false confession obtained by Williams and Hill under severe threats of spending the rest of her life in prison, and in a sworn affidavit as well. She refused to implicate Degraffenried.
Above (l to r) exonerees George Clark, Alphonso Clark, Kevin Harrington; bottom: wrongfully convicted Marcus and Vargo Johnson also of Inkster.
Detectives Hill and Abdallah were cited in the wrongful convictions of George Clark and Kevin Harrington, exonerated in 2021. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy appealed Harrington’s case FOUR TIMES causing him to suffer through FOUR TRIALS before finally agreeing to his release. Clark and Harrington are shown in the top photo at right, with exoneree Alphonso Clark, Jr. whose case involved another Inkster officer, Anthony DelGreco.
Gregory Hill was als0 involved in the cases of Vargas and Marco Johnson (bottom photo at left), which were covered in the Voice of Detroit in 2021, with claims that he elicited false witness statements for trial.
VOD is currently working on a story involving lifers David McKinney and Robin Hammock, also framed up by DelGreco.
More cases continue to surface involving rampant corruption in the Inkster Police Department, particularly in the 1990’s through 2000’s.
David McKinney and mother Cheryl McKinney
One involves the notorious former Inkster cop William Melendez. who got world-wide publicity for the brutal beating of Floyd Dent in 2015. He allegedly threatened a defendant with a false death penalty threat. to coerce a false confession in another case. DelGreco used the same tactic in McKinney’s case.
But Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy keeps denying even recommendations from her Conviction Integrity Unit to free those whose lives have been stolen by corrupt cops, in league with Asst. Prosecutors seeking to rack up their conviction numbers. Wayne County has the second highest numbers of wrongful convictions in the United States, which has the world’s highest rate of incarceration, involving a majority of Black, Latino and poor prisoners. The U.S. has 4 percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of its incarcerated population.
Above, Michael DeGraffenried’s defense attorney, Tiffany Howell, argues his case in front of 3rd Circuit Court Judge Tracy E. Green April 28, 2025. (Use Nice Volume Booster for full sound.)
VOD interviewed Mike D’s mother Evonne at court hearing Oct. 8, 2024; she traveled from Texas for every hearing, appearing with dozens of supporters
Family and friends of Michael DeGraffenried turned out in force for his hearing Oct. 8, 2024; his mother Evonne is fifth from right.
RELATED:
INKSTER COP DARIAN WMS. EXTORTED DRUG DEALERS DURING CASE V. MICH. LIFER MICHAEL DEGRAFFENRIED | VOICE OF DETROIT: The city’s independent newspaper, unbossed and unbought**********************************************************************************
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