Winona resident react to Curtis Flowers Supreme Court ruling

WINONA, Miss. (WCBI)-  If you have ever been to Winona, you know just how small of a place it is. In a community of 5,500 give or take, most people know each other.

He has been the topic of case studies, news reports, and a podcast. Curtis Flowers has supporters. And, he has detractors. But one thing is for certain, everyone in Winona has an opinion.

One morning in 1996, the town of Winona changed. Four people were killed in the Tardy Furniture store.

People who knew the suspect were called to testify. Family and friends of the victims have read impact statements. There were detectives and investigators and expert witnesses.

Now more than 20 years later, a lot of people don’t know what to believe.

Friday’s Supreme Court announcement is the resolution some residents want.

“I’m very happy. That lets me know that God is at work, and when God overturned things even though he probably has suffered at being under incarceration, but at least they did pursue getting him some type of release. And I pray that this will bring to a total release for him. And his family I’m sure its a blessing,” said evangelist Mattie Turner.

“The greatest thing that ever happened. He didn’t do that. They tried him six times with the same evidence. Evidently, he didn’t. Supreme Court overturned,” said Winona resident Michael Collins.

Those multiple overturned trials have others feeling uneasy.

“I guess it’s really mixed feelings because I’ve known Curtis I knew him for quite some time. I just couldn’t believe that this happened, but all evidence indicates that he was involved in it,” said Winona resident Richie Scruggs.

At the moment it is unknown if Flowers will face his seventh trial, but if he does, Michael Collins says things need to change.

“They’ve got a re-trial or let him go. You got have new evidence you can’t keep trying the man with the same whip,”

Many of the people we spoke to didn’t want to go on camera.

Some told WCBI they are happy about the Supreme Court decision.

Others said the decision should never have happened.

But everyone teold WCBI they want to see the case come to a close.