"How do you celebrate your father's birthday when he lives in a city that doesn't allow parties, balloons, or birthday cards? You get the wedding dress you couldn't bring yourself to wear and have a photoshoot at the entrance to the city that will one day become his Exodus." ~ Medria Taylor Buford Dwayne Jewel Hill has received the Dispatch Newspaper while in prison for over three decades. The paper remains a timely reminder of what could have been while reading about the family, friends, and community he was forced to leave behind. The last time he graced its pages, he had been convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to "life" in prison without the possibility of parole. How did a young man from a prominent family with deep roots in the community end up in Angola, LA? It's an all too familiar tale of deceit and manipulation; one must know what came before to comprehend this story.

Dwayne's great-great-grandfather, Henry Sillis Sr., and great-great-grandmother, Falba Sawyer Sills, opened Simms Funeral Company, which would later become Simms and Gundy Funeral Company, Inc. and People's Progressive Burial Insurance Company providing care and comfort to Madison Parish and surrounding areas. Despite a family tragedy featured in a 1958 JET magazine article when Dwayne's great-uncle was gunned down by the police in his car, the family business continued to thrive, adding locations in Rayville, and Monroe, LA, on Washington St. Dwayne, a 1979 graduate of Carroll High School, embarked on a new chapter in his life. After attending Southern University in Baton Rouge and serving in the United States Air Force, Dwayne chose to pursue his studies in mortuary school and join the family business. Dwayne's journey into manhood was cut short when he was arrested for the murder of Mrs. Elenore Coon, also known to the Hill & Gundy family and community as "Ms. Chicken". Despite living a long life filled with love from family and friends, this beloved community member was taken too soon. Dwayne was arrested for the murder of Mrs. Coon despite the fact that there was no physical evidence, and he, by all accounts, was a law-abiding citizen, never convicted of anything but a speeding ticket. The only statements used to incriminate him came from two sources with questionable pasts: a 19-year-old female with no education and drug addiction who has since recanted her testimony and a young man who was a habitual offender and the victim's yardman. To make matters worse, another woman with a checkered past and pending distribution of cocaine charges was found to have been paid $100 for her statement under the guise of a Crime Stopper's tip. The case was made all the more controversial when it was discovered that Richland Parish did not have a Crime Stopper's program at the time – a story highlighted in a 2018 News Star newspaper article According to the district attorney's office, the motive for the murder was money for drugs and tires for Dwayne's car. A hard pill for the family to swallow, given that Dwayne had access to resources, including a checking account with over $2000 dollars in it at the time. Over the course of three decades in Angola, Dwayne worked tirelessly to grow personally and professionally. Of the 60 plus certifications, licenses, certificates, and degrees he has obtained, he is most proud of his Bachelor's Degree in General Studies from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, his professional landscaping certification from the Louisiana Nursery Landscape Association, and his ability to continue to be a spiritual guide for his brothers in Christ.

At a hearing on May 12, 2015, the State of Louisiana Board of Pardons and Parole, unanimously voted and forwarded a recommendation to Governor Bobby Jindal's office that Dwayne be granted a commutation of sentence to 99 years, making him immediately parole eligible. This decision was not made lightly but made after considering new evidence, case files, and the accomplishments Dwayne has made over the past 33 years. Jindal left office without signing the recommendation.

On January 11, 2017, the Louisiana Board of Pardons voted for a second time to recommend that Governor John Bel Edwards grant Dwayne's request for commutation of his sentence. In a letter received in 2018, Governor Edwards denied his Board's recommendation, and Dwayne had to wait five years before he could re-apply. Despite numerous attempts to determine the reason for the denial, an explanation has yet to be made available.

Five years later, Dwayne has recently been granted a new hearing before the Board. His mother, father, and baby brother have passed away in his absence, but he has remained resilient in his faith and has held steadfast to God. Most of all, he is loved and missed dearly by his family and friends who need him home.

Help Dwayne - please contact the Louisiana Board of Probation and Parole or contact Governor John Bel Edwards and request that Dwyane not have to wait another day in Angola. Ask them to send Dwayne home so that he might continue God's work in the community that misses him and to the family that needs him.

Be sure to visit Justice4Jewel.com to submit your letter of support today.