FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Seven years after gunshots sent Christmas shoppers running for cover inside a Fort Wayne Kroger, the man who was shot twice in the back now says he lied on the stand, lied to police, and lied to the jury. James Walker told 21Investigates he did it because prosecutors paid him $40,000 to send Marr Brown to prison for 35 years.
Walker now swears Brown shot him in self-defense.
Chaos Inside the Meat Aisle
December 18, 2018. Just days before Christmas. The Kroger on North Clinton Street was packed.
Security video shows Walker and Brown exchange words near the butcher counter. Moments later, Walker reaches toward his waist. Brown pulls a gun and fires twice. Walker collapses. Shoppers scream and run. One mother shields her child behind a display of canned hams.
“Scary that this can happen literally anywhere when you’re shopping at 6 in the evening with your children,” one witness told police that night.
Brown fled. Police caught him minutes later. Walker survived and took the stand in 2020, telling jurors Brown shot him without warning.
The jury believed him. Brown was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 35 years.
The Recantation Video That Changed Everything
In late 2025, 21Alive received an email from Charlene Thompson, Brown’s childhood friend who has never stopped fighting for him.
Attached was a video of James Walker, recorded in a Fort Wayne living room.
In it, Walker looks straight into the camera and says:
“I lied. The prosecutors done paid me to lie. They offered me $40,000 to lie on this man. I did that. And then they reneged on me.”
He continued: “Marr was defending himself. It was either him or me. He had every right to shoot me.”
Walker claims he pulled a gun first. Brown reacted faster.
Prosecutor’s Office Responds
Allen County Prosecutor’s Office told 21Investigates they “categorically deny” paying any witness in the Marr Brown case.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Michael McAlexander said recantations from shooting victims are extremely rare and often come after pressure from the defendant’s family or friends.
Walker insists no one pressured him. He says guilt has been eating at him for years.
A Growing Push to Free Marr Brown
Charlene Thompson has spent years gathering affidavits, tracking down old witnesses, and begging anyone who will listen to reopen the case.
She now has Walker’s sworn recantation on video and in writing.
Attorney Fran Gull, who is not connected to the case, told 21Alive that if a judge finds the recantation credible, Brown could get a new trial or even be released.
“Perjured testimony from the victim himself strikes at the heart of the conviction,” Gull said.
What Happens Next
Brown remains at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility. His family says he has kept his head down and stayed out of trouble inside.
Walker says he is willing to testify again, this time telling what he calls “the real story.”
Whether a judge will believe the new version, seven years later, remains the biggest question hanging over a case that terrified a city and tore two families apart.
One thing is certain: a Christmas shopping trip in 2018 is still destroying lives in 2026.
If you remember that night at the Clinton Street Kroger, or if you have information about this case, share your thoughts below. Many on social media are using #FreeMarrBrown to demand a second look.
