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{{Short description|American journalist and private investigator}}
{{sources|date=December 2018}}
{{sources|date=December 2018}}
'''Paul Henderson III''' (January 13, 1939 – December 7, 2018) was an American [[journalist]] and [[private investigator]].<ref name=":0" /> he won the [[Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting]] in 1982 as a reporter for ''[[The Seattle Times]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=The Pulitzer Prizes|first=|date=|title=1982 Pulitzer Prize Prizes|url=https://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-year/1982|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-09-14|website=www.pulitzer.org|language=en}}</ref>
'''Paul Henderson III''' (January 13, 1939 – December 7, 2018) was an American [[journalist]] and [[private investigator]].<ref name=":0" /> In both roles, he helped win the freedom of 14 wrongfully convicted people, with nearly all being murder cases. He won the [[Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting]] in 1982 as a reporter for ''[[The Seattle Times]]''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=The Pulitzer Prizes|title=1982 Pulitzer Prize Prizes|url=https://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-year/1982|access-date=2020-09-14|website=www.pulitzer.org|language=en}}</ref>


Henderson was born in [[Washington D.C.]], but moved to [[Beatrice, Nebraska]] as a young child. He attended [[Wentworth Military Academy and Junior College]] in [[Lexington, Missouri]], graduating in 1959. After three years in the [[U.S. Army]], he continued his education at [[Creighton University]] and the [[University of Nebraska at Omaha]].<ref name=":0" />
Henderson was born in [[Washington, D.C.]], but moved to [[Beatrice, Nebraska]], as a young child. He attended [[Wentworth Military Academy and Junior College]] in [[Lexington, Missouri]], graduating in 1959. After three years in the [[U.S. Army]], he continued his education at [[Creighton University]] and the [[University of Nebraska at Omaha]].<ref name=":0" />


Henderson began his career as a journalist at the ''[[Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil]]'' (1962–1966), before moving on to the ''[[Omaha World-Herald]]'' (1966–1967), and ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' (1967–1985). While working in the newsroom as an investigative reporter at ''The Seattle Times'' in 1981, Henderson took a call from a man named [[Wrongful conviction of Steve Titus|Steve Titus]]. Titus explained to Henderson that he was about to be sentenced for a sexual assault he did not commit. Henderson looked into the case and wrote a series of three stories entitled "One Man's Battle to Clear His Name, a story of rape, wrongful conviction and vindication", challenging the circumstantial evidence against Titus. When officials followed up on Henderson's leads, they found a man who resembled Titus and who eventually confessed to the crime. The report convinced a judge to reverse Titus' conviction. Henderson won the [[1982 Pulitzer Prize]] for his series. However, Titus, who had been an up-and-coming executive with a fast-food franchise with no more than a parking ticket on his record, had his career destroyed, and he died of a heart attack at age 36, just as he was on the verge of winning a major wrongful-conviction settlement.
Henderson began his career as a journalist at the ''[[Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil]]'' (1962–1966), before moving on to the ''[[Omaha World-Herald]]'' (1966–1967), and ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' (1967–1985). While working in the newsroom as an investigative reporter at ''The Seattle Times'' in 1981, Henderson took a call from a man named [[Wrongful conviction of Steve Titus|Steve Titus]].


Titus explained to Henderson that he was about to be sentenced for a sexual assault he did not commit. Henderson looked into the case and wrote a series of three stories entitled "One Man's Battle to Clear His Name, a story of rape, wrongful conviction and vindication," challenging the circumstantial evidence against Titus.<ref name=":2" /> When officials followed up on Henderson's leads, they found a man who resembled Titus and who eventually confessed to the crime.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=The Seattle Times: Local news: Steve Titus Case|url=https://special.seattletimes.com/o/news/local/tituscase/lookingback.html|access-date=2020-09-14|website=special.seattletimes.com}}</ref> The report convinced a judge to reverse Titus' conviction.
⚫
Motivated by his experience with the Titus case, Henderson left the ''Seattle Times'' in 1985 to become a private investigator. Since 1988, Henderson has been an investigator for [[Centurion Ministries]], a small [[nonprofit organization]] based in [[Princeton, New Jersey]] dedicated to vindicating the wrongfully convicted. It has helped free more than 30 people.

Henderson won the [[1982 Pulitzer Prize]] for his series.<ref name=":1" /> Titus died of a heart attack at age 36, just as he was on the verge of winning a major wrongful-conviction settlement.

⚫
Motivated by his experience with the Titus case, Henderson left the ''Seattle Times'' in 1985 to become a private investigator. Since 1988, Henderson had been an investigator for [[Centurion Ministries]], a small nonprofit organization based in [[Princeton, New Jersey]], dedicated to vindicating the wrongfully convicted. They have helped free more than 30 people.


In addition to winning the Pulitzer, Henderson is also the winner of the C.B. Blethan Award (1977 and 1982), the Roy W. Howard Newspaper Award, [[Scripps-Howard]] Foundation (1982), and he was named an Outstanding Achiever by the American Academy of Achievement (1982).
In addition to winning the Pulitzer, Henderson is also the winner of the C.B. Blethan Award (1977 and 1982), the Roy W. Howard Newspaper Award, [[Scripps-Howard]] Foundation (1982), and he was named an Outstanding Achiever by the American Academy of Achievement (1982).


Henderson died on December 7, 2018 at the age of 79 after a battle with [[lung cancer]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/obituaries/paul-henderson-pulitzer-prize-winning-seattle-times-reporter-who-championed-the-underdog-dies-at-79/ |title=Paul Henderson, Pulitzer Prize-winning Seattle Times reporter who championed the underdog, dies at 79 |date=2018-12-13 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US |access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref>
Henderson died on December 7, 2018, at the age of 79<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-14 |title=Paul Henderson, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, dies |url=https://apnews.com/article/d9174d2882b84b48809c866fbcae3a58 |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> from [[lung cancer]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/obituaries/paul-henderson-pulitzer-prize-winning-seattle-times-reporter-who-championed-the-underdog-dies-at-79/ |title=Paul Henderson, Pulitzer Prize-winning Seattle Times reporter who championed the underdog, dies at 79 |date=December 13, 2018 |newspaper=The Seattle Times |access-date=December 14, 2018}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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== Further reading ==
== Further reading ==
⚫
* ''Predator: Rape, Madness, and Injustice in Seattle'', {{ISBN|0-385-29935-4}}, Jack Olsen, 1991
*Contemporary Authors, Vol. 144 (Gale, July 9, 1994) 192.
*Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners, by Elizabeth A. Brennan and Elizabeth C. Clarage, Greenwood Press, 1999. {{ISBN|1-57356-111-8}}.
⚫
*Predator: Rape, Madness and Injustice In Seattle, by Jack Olsen. Delacorte Press, 1991. {{ISBN|0-385-29935-4}}


{{PulitzerPrize Investigative Reporting}}
{{PulitzerPrize Investigative Reporting}}
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[[Category:American male journalists]]
[[Category:American male journalists]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in the United States]]
[[Category:Newspaper people from Omaha, Nebraska]]
[[Category:Newspaper people from Omaha, Nebraska]]
[[Category:People from Beatrice, Nebraska]]
[[Category:People from Beatrice, Nebraska]]

Latest revision as of 17:13, 27 December 2023

Paul Henderson III (January 13, 1939 – December 7, 2018) was an American journalist and private investigator.[1] In both roles, he helped win the freedom of 14 wrongfully convicted people, with nearly all being murder cases. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting in 1982 as a reporter for The Seattle Times.[2]

Henderson was born in Washington, D.C., but moved to Beatrice, Nebraska, as a young child. He attended Wentworth Military Academy and Junior College in Lexington, Missouri, graduating in 1959. After three years in the U.S. Army, he continued his education at Creighton University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.[1]

Henderson began his career as a journalist at the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil (1962–1966), before moving on to the Omaha World-Herald (1966–1967), and The Seattle Times (1967–1985). While working in the newsroom as an investigative reporter at The Seattle Times in 1981, Henderson took a call from a man named Steve Titus.

Titus explained to Henderson that he was about to be sentenced for a sexual assault he did not commit. Henderson looked into the case and wrote a series of three stories entitled "One Man's Battle to Clear His Name, a story of rape, wrongful conviction and vindication," challenging the circumstantial evidence against Titus.[3] When officials followed up on Henderson's leads, they found a man who resembled Titus and who eventually confessed to the crime.[3] The report convinced a judge to reverse Titus' conviction.

Henderson won the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for his series.[2] Titus died of a heart attack at age 36, just as he was on the verge of winning a major wrongful-conviction settlement.

Motivated by his experience with the Titus case, Henderson left the Seattle Times in 1985 to become a private investigator. Since 1988, Henderson had been an investigator for Centurion Ministries, a small nonprofit organization based in Princeton, New Jersey, dedicated to vindicating the wrongfully convicted. They have helped free more than 30 people.

In addition to winning the Pulitzer, Henderson is also the winner of the C.B. Blethan Award (1977 and 1982), the Roy W. Howard Newspaper Award, Scripps-Howard Foundation (1982), and he was named an Outstanding Achiever by the American Academy of Achievement (1982).

Henderson died on December 7, 2018, at the age of 79[4] from lung cancer.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Paul Henderson, Pulitzer Prize-winning Seattle Times reporter who championed the underdog, dies at 79". The Seattle Times. December 13, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  2. ^ a b The Pulitzer Prizes. "1982 Pulitzer Prize Prizes". www.pulitzer.org. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  3. ^ a b "The Seattle Times: Local news: Steve Titus Case". special.seattletimes.com. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  4. ^ "Paul Henderson, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, dies". AP NEWS. 2018-12-14. Retrieved 2022-02-28.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Predator: Rape, Madness, and Injustice in Seattle, ISBN 0-385-29935-4, Jack Olsen, 1991
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