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At midnight, while all the other prisoners banged away, Myers curled up on the floor in the corner of his cell, hyperventilating and flinching with each clang he heard. When the stench of burning flesh that many on the row claimed they could smell during the execution wafted into his cell, Myers dissolved. He called Tate the next morning and told him that he would say whatever he wanted if he would get him off death row.
This quotation, which appears in Chapter 3, emphasizes the way in which the harsh conditions of death row dramatically exacerbate Myers’s mental health struggles. Knowing that the State is unapologetically killing a man like himself sends Myers into a downward spiral, one which is enough to convince him to further support Tate’s attempts to convict McMillan of a murder he did not commit. His actions in this moment emphasize just how vulnerable people like Myers are to the unjust abuses of power that State ignores.
Having read Myers's testimony and reviewed the records that were available about him, I knew that he had a tragic background and a complex personality. Walter and his family had described Myers as pure evil for the lies he told during the trial. The experience of being so coldly lied about at trial by someone you don't even know was one of the most disquieting parts of the trial for Walter.
As part of his research into McMillan’s case, Stevenson spends time trying to understand who Myers is and what may have motivated him to make false testimonies. Many people on the outside of the case condemn him for telling such harmful lies, but Stevenson calls attention to the complexities of his character and the history of suffering that he has endured. By emphasizing these details to the reader, Stevenson suggests that Myers is also a victim of mistreatment from the broader social and political forces within his community.
"I've been in a group therapy class here. You're supposed to be real honest. We been talking about honesty for nearly three months…I finally told the group, 'Well, I can top all you sons 'a bitches, I done put a damn man on death row by lying in damn court.'” He paused dramatically. "After I told all of 'em what I'd done, everybody said I needed to make it right. That's what I'm trying to do."
In Chapter 7, Stevenson meets with Myers after receiving a mysterious and rather dramatic call from him, and he learns that Myers wants to tell the truth about his false testimony against McMillan. This shift does not only mark a major turning point in Stevenson’s attempts to free McMillan, but it also highlights the possibility for Myers to redeem himself. His change of heart emphasizes the idea that everyone is capable of personal growth if given the opportunity to realize it.
