Synopsis: Jacksonville, Florida. A chain-smoking attorney introduces himself: "I'm Pat McGuinness. I'll be fifty on Christmas Day, and I defend people charged with killing people."

McGuinness' newest client is Brenton Butler, a quiet, bespectacled 15-year-old African-American student who has been charged with a most serious crime: the cold-blooded murder of an elderly white tourist. As revealed by McGuinness, the details of the killing are clear. On Sunday, May 7, 2000 at approximately 7 a.m., Mr. and Mrs. James Stevens finished eating breakfast at Jacksonville's Ramada Inn and walked outside. According to Mr. Stevens, the couple was accosted by a young black man who demanded Mrs. Stevens' purse, then shot her in the face, killing her instantly. Mr. Stevens described the suspect to police at the scene as 20 to 25 years old, about six feet tall, wearing a dark T-shirt, shorts, and a fisherman-style hat.

That same morning, Brenton Butler said he left home on foot at around 9 a.m. to apply for at job at the local Blockbuster video store. Butler's path took him fatally close to police officers looking for "a black male in the area of the Ramada Inn." Officers picked Butler off the street for questioning, and while sitting in the back seat of the police car, he was positively identified by Mr. Stevens as the man who murdered his wife two-and-a-half hours earlier. Asked if he was certain that Butler was the killer, the 75-year-old man said, "I wouldn't send an innocent man to jail."

Murder on a Sunday Morning picks up the story after Brenton Butler has been incarcerated for over six months, and follows his headline-making trial. In her opening remarks, state prosecutor Laura Starrett says Florida is prepared to convict Butler based on two facts: first, he was positively identified by the eyewitness, Mr. Stevens; and second, he signed a confession. Ann Finnel, an attorney working with McGuinness, counters by promising the defense will expose police improprieties in the case, including coercing Butler to sign a confession after being beaten.

Production Info:
Directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade.

Produced by Denis Poncet.

Executive producers: Yves Jeanneau, Christine Le Goff and Denis Poncet.

Airdates:
Premiered on HBO on Sunday, March 31st, 2002 at 10:00pm.