PETITION FOR COMMUTATION OF SENTENCE

Submitted to the Honorable Governor of the State of Wisconsin

On Behalf of

DEVON WORDS

Milwaukee County | Case No. 18CF003372 

To the Honorable Governor of the State of Wisconsin:

We, the undersigned family members, friends, community members, business associates, and individuals whose lives Devon Words has touched, come before you not merely as petitioners — but as witnesses. Witnesses to a man of extraordinary character, unwavering integrity, and profound humanity who remains unjustly imprisoned, separated from the people who love and depend on him, and from the community that needs him.

We submit this petition not out of sympathy alone, but out of a deep and abiding belief that justice has not been served — and that you, Governor, hold the power to correct that injustice. We ask you to hear us. We ask you to see Devon as we see him. And we ask you, with all humility and urgency, to grant him a commutation of his sentence and the opportunity to come home.

 

I. WHO DEVON WORDS IS AT HIS CORE — A LIFE OF SERVICE, ENTERPRISE, AND COMMUNITY

Devon Words was, and is, a builder. Before his conviction, he owned and operated a contracting business, real estate holdings, and an insurance agency — enterprises built not through inheritance or luck, but through hard work, discipline, and vision. He was a self-made man in the truest sense of the term.

But Devon's businesses were never just about profit. Through his contracting company, he deliberately hired individuals who had been overlooked by others — people with challenging backgrounds, barriers to re-entry, and limited opportunities. He gave them jobs, dignity, and a chance. When others closed doors, Devon opened them.

Devon was not simply a businessman — he was a neighbor, a mentor, and a consistent presence in the community where he was born and raised. He donated to local organizations and gave his time to nonprofits because he believed in lifting others as he climbed. He believes that success carries an obligation — to give back, to lift up, and to leave things better than he found them. 

Among his most cherished community relationships was his close connection to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Milwaukee, by way of his meaningful relationship with long term Center Director, Dee McCollum. Whenever Dee McCollum informs the community of a need or she contacted him directly, he did not hesitate. Whether by providing his knowledge, resources, or monetarily. Devon's involvement with the community exemplified his belief that true success is measured by what you give back. Devon did not talk about community. He built it. He built it in his actions and not his words. 

 

II. A DEVOTED FATHER, HUSBAND, AND CHOSEN FAMILY FIGHTING TO COME HOME

At the center of Devon Words' story is not a crime — it is a family. Devon is a devoted husband and father whose children have grown up counting the days, the hearings, and the visits. They have watched their father fight — not with bitterness, but with dignity — through every courtroom setback and every legal reversal. The bond between Devon and his children is not something incarceration has broken. It is something it has tested, and that bond has held.

Devon has remained deeply committed to his 6 children even under the crushing weight of incarceration and separation — demonstrating the kind of unwavering parental devotion that cannot be extinguished by prison walls. He has shown up for every milestone he has been able to reach, such as the birthdays, the achievements, the quiet moments that define a parent's presence. An HBCU college graduation (Xavier) missed, a high school graduation missed, with other children approaching college, high school, and grade school graduations. He has poured every ounce of love across the distance that separates them, calling, writing, guiding, and encouraging. His children know their father. They know who he is. And they are waiting for him.

Beyond his own household, Devon has always been chosen family to the people around him — attending sporting events, celebrating milestones, and showing up for the children of close friends as if they were his own. He is the kind of man who understands that community begins at home, in the relationships you nurture and the children you help to raise.  His absence leaves a void that no one else can fill. The children in his circle have lost a steady, caring adult presence that cannot be replaced. 

 

III.  TRUTH BEHIND THE CONVICTION — AND HOW DEVON HAS BEEN WRONGED

Devon Words has maintained his complete innocence since the night of March 21, 2018, and the facts of that night — understood fully — demand careful review.

Devon attended what he believed to be a routine property walk-through for a potential real estate purchase . He did not know that the occupant of the lower unit had arranged for an individual to be armed and present to prevent the walk-through being performed by Devon. Devon arrived at the property only to see his girlfriend (now wife) being verbally attacked which in turn then quickly escalated to a physical altercation provoked and initiated by the downstairs occupant and the male individual. During the assault onto Devon’s girlfriend, the male individual brandished a firearm. In the chaos that followed, Devon struggled to disarm the individual — not to harm, but to survive, and to protect everyone present. The firearm discharged. Tragically, the individual later died from his wound.

Devon left the scene in panic and shock — and immediately contacted his attorney, who had been advising him on the real estate transaction from the beginning. He followed his attorney's counsel throughout. The state waited a month before formally charging him with a possession charge only. He turned himself in voluntarily and without incident, accompanied by his attorney.

Most critically: in July 2018, the state dropped its original charge and recharged Devon with first-degree intentional homicide — without any new evidence. This prosecutorial escalation, imposed without new facts, speaks to the troubling dynamics of a case that has never been fully fair.

Devon made bail and was then placed on the most restrictive bail conditions possible — 24-hour house arrest, permission to leave only following court hearings for approved medical appointments, with work authorization not granted until January 2020 and subject to court approval for each individual contract. For nearly two years, Devon lived as a man presumed guilty, not allowed to attend school functions for his children and was unable to be by his brother’s side as he passed away in a hospital bed after his fight with sickle cell. 

Trial began on March 2, 2020. A trial where a team of two attorneys failed to represent Devon at a bare minimum legal standard. A judge released a portion of bail funds to be explicitly used to cover expenses for a private investigation, expert witnesses, and other needs to put together a proper defense for a fair trial. All which did not happen even after a consistent push not only from Devon but his girlfriend now wife. A defense team who did not fight for a jury of his peers, that gave bad advice since the day of the incident, misremembered whether a motion in limine was approved or not therefore was not addressed and would be later deemed as crucial in his trial. A defense team who admitted under oath there was no strategic reason a private investigation was not conducted, interviews of character witnesses did not occur, an expert medical examiner was not hired. All of which Devon Words explicitly requested multiple times.

After four days of proceedings, the jury delivered a guilty verdict on an added lesser charge to consider during trial, second-degree intentional homicide — a verdict delivered under circumstances that raise significant questions about the pressure placed on jurors. The pressure of giving a verdict near the close of business on a late Friday afternoon, a judge awaiting to start his planned vacation, with the court explicitly signaling that deliberations would need to resume Monday.

Devon was lost; he was failed not only by his paid defense team but also by the Wisconsin judicial system. It was certainly an emotional rollercoaster.

A verdict that sent shock not only through the courtroom but also through those within the community built around him. 

IV. AN UNPRECEDENTED LEGAL VICTORY — AND A CONTINUING FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

Devon's legal journey has been one of remarkable resilience in the face of profound adversity. A man who has never stopped fighting for justice through lawful means — even at the cost of his own freedom.

Following his conviction, he pursued an appeal on the grounds of ineffective assistance of counsel. In an extraordinary and unprecedented decision, Judge Yamahiro agreed, — overturning Devon's conviction entirely providing an extremely thorough reasoning for his decision. This was not a minor procedural ruling; it was a substantive finding that the legal representation Devon received fell well below the standards required by justice.

He was released from custody in September 2022 following the Wisconsin Circuit Court decision to grant him a new trial and immediate release from custody. Devon returned to his community — to his family, to his businesses, and to his responsibilities. All while again, being treated as if the guilty verdict was embedded within him as the state assigned a large cash bail, GPS monitoring, a restriction to only traveling within the continuous states as well as restricted from specific zip codes within the city of Milwaukee. It wasn’t until almost a year and a half later when a judge finally agreed to the removal of GPS monitoring. He remained out of institutional custody until December 19, 2024 — without incident. He had rebuilt. He had employed. He had contributed.

Though that decision was ultimately reversed on appeal by the Wisconsin Appellate Court with an unreasonable rationale that is contradictory to the law and with the Wisconsin Supreme Court choosing not to hear the case outright. Its very existence speaks to the serious doubts surrounding Devon's conviction. Two Wisconsin courts with conflicting decisions on appeal causing grave confusion. But Devon did not respond to setback with bitterness or despair. He responded with resolve.

After exhausting his options through the Wisconsin appellate process and being denied review by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the last step, Devon returned to custody voluntarily to continue his fight for justice — this time through a federal habeas corpus petition. His commitment to pursuing justice through lawful means, even at the cost of his freedom, reflects a man of deep integrity.

A man who intends to evade accountability does not return to prison of his own accord. Devon did. That act alone speaks to who he is. 

V. REINTEGRATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND ONGOING IMPACT

During his period of release beginning in 2022, Devon did not simply resume the life he had before — he built something new. He married his long-term girlfriend and mother of his son and replanted his footing. He founded a trucking company, beginning with the purchase of box trucks and expanding to adding a semi-truck and then a dump truck. What began as an owner-operator business grew into a functioning business that employed workers, provided for his family, and proved once again Devon's capacity to create opportunity where others see obstacles.

Crucially, even following his return to custody, Devon has continued to operate this business in partnership with his wife — refusing to surrender the enterprise he built and the livelihoods it supports. His commitment to his family's financial stability and his employees' welfare, even from behind bars, speaks volumes about who Devon Words truly is.

VI. OUR PLEA TO YOU, GOVERNOR

Governor, we come before you with one voice and one request: bring Devon Words home.

We are asking you to look at the full picture of this man's life — not only the conviction, but the character. Not only the verdict, but the circumstances that produced it. Not only where Devon is today, but who he has been every day of his life and who he will be when he walks out.

Devon Words is not a danger to society. He is a builder of it. He is a father striving to be present for his children, a husband supporting his family, an employer creating opportunity, and a community member whose absence is felt by many. He is a man who, in the face of profound injustice, has responded with resolve, dignity, and an unshakeable commitment to doing things the right way. He believed in the justice system only to be let down repeatedly. 

He has maintained his innocence from the first day, pursued every legal avenue available to him, and conducted himself with dignity throughout a process that has been neither swift nor fair. He has earned the right to come home.

We, the undersigned, respectfully urge you to grant Devon Words a commutation of his sentence — so that he may return to his children, support his family, grow his business, and continue serving the community that believes in him and needs him.

Justice should not require a man of Devon's character to spend another day away from the people he loves. We believe, with our whole hearts, that the right decision is to let him come home.

Every signature represents a life Devon has touched, a community member who believes in his innocence, and a voice calling for justice, mercy, and the recognition that some of our most valuable community members are the ones we have chosen to lock away.