In 1993, catastrophic flooding along the Mississippi River caused billions in damage and displaced thousands of people. Searching for someone to blame, the town of Quincy, Missouri, pinned the disaster on one man—James Scott. Despite a lack of evidence, Scott was convicted twice for intentionally causing a breach in the river levee that led to widespread flooding. He remains in prison today for a crime he likely did not commit.
The flooding began in early 1993 as heavy rains caused the Mississippi River to swell dangerously high. The town of Quincy worked tirelessly to reinforce levees along the river, hoping to prevent a breach. On July 16, a section of the levee broke, and water came rushing through, flooding over 700 miles of land and causing around $30 billion in damage.
James Scott was a Quincy resident with a criminal record, including past arson charges. When a local reporter interviewed Scott at the breached levee, Scott admitted to moving sandbags from one section to another in an attempt to prevent flooding. This action may have inadvertently led to the breach. Police arrested Scott for an unrelated burglary charge and then interrogated him about causing the flood deliberately. Despite Scott’s insistence it was an accident, police believed he intentionally sabotaged the levee.
During Scott’s first trial, the prosecution relied heavily on testimony from acquaintances alleging Scott wanted to flood the town and trap his wife on the other side of the river. However, scientists could not substantiate claims that Scott’s actions directly caused the breach. After being convicted, Scott was granted a retrial, resulting in a guilty verdict based on circumstantial evidence and character attacks.
Many have criticized Scott’s conviction as a grievous miscarriage of justice. Scientists maintain that catastrophic flooding was inevitable due to historically high river levels and levee failures up and down the Mississippi Basin. While Scott’s actions may have contributed in some small part, he is likely serving a life sentence for a natural disaster outside his control. Despite maintaining his innocence for over 20 years in prison, Scott’s only hope for parole is a confession which he refuses to make.
The rush to blame Scott also benefited certain Quincy residents. A local landowner who stood to profit from an insurance payout if the flood was deemed vandalism rather than an act of God testified against Scott. This self-serving testimony may have helped convict an innocent man.
While the 1993 flood was truly disastrous, the greater tragedy is the conviction of James Scott. Lacking solid evidence and a fair trial, Scott has spent decades in prison for unintentionally worsening a natural disaster. Until the justice system rights this wrong, an innocent man continues to pay for a crime he did not commit.
Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning and laughing a lot while you do, you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode right now!
Sources
Related Episodes
Tell Us What You Think of This Content!
Don’t forget to share it with your friends!