The Dynamic Duo Of The Buffalo 5 Is No More!

By Betty Jean Grant

Betty Jean Grant

Over the past couple of decades, one thing was clear in our community: if you came upon John Walker Jr. out and about on the Eastside, his friend, Darryl Boyd, would not be too far away. Their friendship began when they were teenagers and was further cemented when, along with three other friends, they were wrongfully charged with a crime they did not commit. Not only were they charged with the murder of a white man who lived on Fillmore Ave, but they were also convicted and sentenced to prison in 1977, where they served long prison terms ranging from 22 to 34 years.

The two most vocal members of the Buffalo 5, Walker and Boyd, spent years on these Buffalo streets garnering support to have their case heard and believed, eventually getting it before a judge. That happened in 2022 when local Buffalo attorney, Paul Cambria, volunteered to represent them in court.

I want to thank Sherry Sherrill of We Are Women Warriors, Bishop Darius Pridgen, Judge James McLeod, Challenger News Editor Alnisa Banks, Buffalo Historian and Buffalo Criterion Newspaper Columnist Dr. Eva M. Doyle, and numerous other community members who attended the many press conferences, rallies, and court appearances. The love and support from our community and their belief in the apparent miscarriage of justice in the case helped the judge make the decision to vacate Indictment 41-413. This verdict allowed the members of the Buffalo 5—John Walker Jr., Darryl Boyd (deceased), Darryn Gibson (deceased), Floyd Martin (deceased), and Tyrone Wofford—to join the ever-growing group of African American men forever known as The Wrongfully Convicted.

Sadly, on February 27, 2025, Darryl Boyd transitioned to ancestry at Erie County Medical Center, surrounded by the love and care of his only son, mother, relatives, and friends. His body, damaged by his unjust and unfair incarceration, finally could not sustain him. May he Rest In Peace.

Darryl Boyd’s Going Home Service will be held on Friday, March 7th, at 10 AM at Gethsemane Church, 55 Grape St., Buffalo.