This Is Chump Change: Two Black Men Wrongfully Accused of Killing A Pregnant White Woman Were Awarded $150k Settlement

This week, two Black men wrongfully implicated in the tragic 1989 murder of a pregnant white woman in Boston received a settlement of $150,000 from the city. This financial compensation follows a formal apology issued nearly two years prior by Mayor Michelle Wu, who characterized the police probe as “unjust, racist, and wrong,” calling the apology “long overdue.” Charles Stuart, a white man, reported to police that his wife had been shot during a carjacking on October 23, 1989. Following the incident, he falsely identified a Black man as the assailant. The ensuing police action led to increased harassment targeting Black men throughout Boston. Alan Swanson was erroneously arrested shortly after, imprisoned for three weeks, and subsequently exonerated. Meanwhile, Stuart’s confession—revealing he had killed his wife for insurance money—culminated in his suicide in January 1990. Mayor Wu’s acknowledgment of the city’s injustices, while welcomed, has been viewed as insufficient by some, including Reverend Kevin Peterson, who argued that a more substantial settlement is warranted. (Photo: CBS News Boston screenshot)