PRESS RELEASE JOSHUA CHRISTON
Media Contact: Mareo Johnson
Rev. Mareo Johnson (Pastor of Seeking the Kingdom Ministries &
Executive Director of Black Lives Matter Tulsa
blacklivesmattertulsa1@gmail.com
blacklawyerspodcast@gmail.com
Follow the story on Social Media #freejoshuachriston #honorrollstudent
Wrongfully Convicted Over Rap Lyrics: Joshua Christon aka “Honor Roll Student” Post Conviction Petition reveals NEW Gun evidence that exonerates him and a sticky note confirming prosecutorial misconduct | Press Conference July 7th, 2025 NAACP Oklahoma Office 1pm
TULSA, OK.) – After almost eighteen years of serving time over a wrongful conviction over rap lyrics, The Oklahoma Innocence Project in April submitted on behalf of Minister Joshua Christon, his Post Conviction Relief petition establishing his innocence and revealing the misconduct of the Oklahoma County Prosecutor Office with a literal “smoking gun”; a sticky note admitting to the omission of evidence.
Christon through way of his counsel, Andrea Miller of The Oklahoma Innocence Project has asked for his immediate release and vacation of his conviction based on the following that was omitted from his first trial (that if had been admitted in his previous trial would have exonerated Christon as the shooter):
Proposition 1 - Brady violations (can’t withhold exculpatory evidence that favors defendant)
-On April 24, 2024, counsel for Mr. Christon was allowed to review his file at the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office. Located in that file was a
stack of reports that included information previously undisclosed to Mr. Christon or defense counsel. It is clear that the information was undisclosed because
attached to the top of the stack of papers was a sticky note stating "Not provided in discovery."Which shows the omission of this evidence to his attorney as intentional.
-Prosecutors closing argument at trial indicates they knew that co-defendant Winford McKissick had a .45 pistol that could not be eliminated as the murder weapon but instead tried to incorrectly shift focus on .40 pistol that was found on him at time of arrest.
-Prosecutors didn’t give Christon lawyer exculpatory evidence: .45 Winford gun report and pics of gun found at Winford’s home which would have indicated he was the shooter since the bullet taken from victim body was from a .45 gun and the shell casings at the scene of the crimes were also from a .45 gun.
-An incident report confirming Co-defendant Winford was arrested per a later search warrant that found the .45 and drugs
-Winford confession in jail
-Investigator saying he record led to them discovering the .45 weapon
-Lt. report that included arrested murder suspect Winford and .45 had been found in search under his mattress
Proposition 2- No fair trial because of False testimony
-Co-defendant Parker false testimony (knew Winford confessed to a crime and was arrested with weapon)
-False testimony regarding Discovery of .45 gun under mattress
Joshua stated this regarding his new petition: “What was done to me under former D.A. Lori Hines was intentional and miscarriage of justice. Time was taken from me that I can not get back. It is my hope that the new Prosecutor’s office will right this wrong and release me immediately.”
We urge the current D.A. Vicki Behenna, who ironically is a former Oklahoma Innocence Project Executive Director, to review the petition’s overwhelming evidence that proves Christon’s innocence beyond a reasonable doubt and fix the mistake of her predecessors.
Joshua has been a remarkable model inmate who has been productive and has contributed to society while being incarcerated. In addition to being a minister and certified paralegal, he also earned his Associate’s degree while incarcerated. He is now finishing his Bachelor’s degree at Oklahoma Baptist University which is a program supported by Governor Stitt. He also is related to the Tulsa, Oklahoma race massacre victims. Joshua’s wrongful incarceration has added to the wrongdoing his family has faced in Oklahoma.
You can listen to Joshua’s Black Lawyers Podcast here. You can view his trial transcript here, where the defendant’s brother Alberto Oaks admits on pages 28 and 34, that Joshua was not the shooter yet this evidence was ignored and he was sentenced to life for murder charges anyway. This argument along with insufficient evidence to tie him to the weapon and ineffective counsel made news headlines in 2023 when he petitioned to have his sentenced commuted by the Board of Pardons and Parole. The Board in the final phase unfortunately denied his request.
Rev. Mareo Johnson will be holding a press conference about Joshua’s commutation vote at 1:00 pm on July 7th, 2025, at NAACP Oklahoma State Office, 2001 N Martin Luther King Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73111. Follow the campaign to get justice for Joshua on social media @HonorRollStudent.