The saga of the commutation of Reginald McFadden is a tortuous story of blunders, coincidences, and numerous instances of governmental officials tempting fate. It has the makings of a Serial true-crime podcast. In states throughout the country, there are lifers who are unfairly paying the price for the actions of one person who should never have had her or his life sentence commuted. This is the first in a series of two essays that explore Reginald McFadden’s commutation.
Cite as: Regina Austin, The Saga of Reginald McFadden—“Pennsylvania’s Willie Horton” and the Commutation of Life Sentence in the Commonwealth: Part I, 112 J. Crim. L. & Criminology Online 61 (2022).