An Emergent Justice Campaign for Change
Mario Willis is an innocent man serving time in a Michigan prison for the tragic death of a firefighter in 2008. The city police department worked with the Wayne County Prosecutors office to make the horrible result of an accidental fire in a building Mario did not own into a crime, where no crime was committed.
Mario and his family have been fighting for years to prove the fire was accidental — not an “arson for hire” resulting in a death. Our Participatory Defense HUB has joined the fight. We’ll be working for his freedom, the freedom of the other wrongfully convicted in our HUB and supporting parents fighting to keep their children out of the school-to-prison pipeline.
Evidentiary Hearing
Evidentiary hearings are different from an appeal hearing. Evidentiary hearings allow the defense to present new evidence, call witnesses and cross-examine witnesses. Mario’s evidentiary hearing began on Monday, December 8, 2025. It was scheduled to run for five days. But Mario’s legal team had so much new evidence to share, so many questions for new and previous witnesses that the judge decided reconvened the hearing on January 7, 2026, and fit Mario’s case into her schedule wherever she could.
We expect the final day of the hearing to be on Monday, February 2, 2026, at 9:30 am. We hope you will join us.
These are links to local media coverage the hearing listed in order from oldest (at top) to newest (bottom). Follow us on social media for daily updates and videos from the Emergent Justice people in attendance.
Detroit man’s fight for freedom: Key hearing set in 2008 firefighter death case
Family speaks ahead of hearing in Detroit controversial case
Multiple witnesses challenge key testimony in 2008 Detroit firefighter death case
Key witness calls fire ‘accidental’ but says Willis ordered it in Detroit firefighter death case
Witness admits to being ‘pathological liar’ about Detroit firefighter’s death – Detroit Metro Times
Mario Willis Case: Defense team challenges fire investigation that led to his conviction
Mario Willis case: Key defense expert to testify in challenge to 2008 Detroit fatal fire conviction
New expert testimony challenges arson theory in 2008 Detroit firefighter death
Mario Willis’ new trial hearing in Detroit reaches day 6 as prosecutors challenge defense’s expert
Mario’s Case in Local Media Through the Years
Metro Times journalist, Eddie B. Allen, Jr., has written a 4 Part series about Mario’s case. For even more information, visit the Justice for Mario Willis website.
Watch Devin Scillian discusses the significance of the Mario Willis case ahead of the April 15, 2025, hearing. (The video opens with Devin’s Flashpoint segment on the case. His discussion with Karen Drew begins at 2:43,)
Read Devin Scillian’s Detroit Free Press Op Ed as a PDF by clicking here.
Read his Op Ed online at the Detroit Free Press by clicking here.
Visit the Justice for Mario Willis website to read the expert opinions and evidence collected since Mario’s conviction in 2010
Volunteer to Help Free Mario
Join other volunteers committed to helping free Mario as part of the Justice for Mario Willis Freedom Team! These volunteers show up at events, help create awareness materials, contact elected officials and more. Become part of the Team and pick the ways you want to help out.