WESTLAND, Mich. – William Frederick Wateley, a man who has spent nearly a decade in prison for an arson conviction, has been released on bond while prosecutors decide whether to retry his case.
Wateley, 60, was released on Monday (March 30).
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He was convicted after a jury found that he set fire to his ex-girlfriend’s mobile home in Westland in 2018.
His attorneys said he had always maintained he did not start the fire, and a judge ordered a new trial after concerns were raised about the reliability of the fire investigation used at his original trial.
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Wateley appeared in court by Zoom on Friday, March 27, as his attorneys, Megan Richardson and Wolf Mueller, argued for his release.
“Mr. Wateley spent nine years of his life in prison for an arson fire he has adamantly maintained he did not commit,” Richardson told the court on March 27. “And now we know that the fire investigation that supported the state’s evidence at trial was deeply flawed and unreliable.”
Mueller said the original fire expert’s work was incomplete.
“In this case, the so-called fire expert didn’t even investigate the inside of the house that was burned,” Mueller said. “I don’t know how anybody could make a conclusion that it was arson without even looking at the evidence.”
Defense attorneys told the court that Wayne County prosecutors acknowledged that flawed testimony and analysis from investigators were presented during the first trial.
The judge approved bond on March 27, but ordered Wateley to be placed on a GPS tether.
Wateley is being released on a $50,000 personal bond, per his attorneys.
In court, prosecutors said they intend to proceed with the case and pursue a retrial.
“The people do intend, at this point, to continue to move forward on the case and do a retrial,” a prosecutor said.
Wateley’s attorneys said several community groups, including a network of exonerees and supporters, would help with housing and work as he awaits the next steps in court.
“We’re going to keep fighting for Mr. Wateley until Wayne County sees the truth, which is that Mr. Wateley did not commit this crime,” Richardson said.
Wateley’s new trial date is set for Aug. 10.
His attorneys said they are waiting to learn whether the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office will ultimately move forward with retrying him.