Ashcraft and Ware confessed to the crimes and were sentenced to 99 years in the state penitentiary.

After making an "independent examination", the United States Supreme Court reversed both convictions.

[1][2] The Supreme Court said that this is unacceptable behavior and contrasted this behavior with the way other countries act towards its suspected criminals stating, "Certain foreign nations... convict individuals with testimony obtained by police organizations possessed of an unrestrained power to seize persons suspected of crimes against the state, hold them in secret custody, and wring from them confessions by physical or mental torture.

"[3] The Court went on to say, "So long as the Constitution remains the basic law of our Republic, America will not have that kind of government.

[citation needed] This case is important, in part, because of the Court's decision not to grant deference to the jury's determination that the defendants' confessions were voluntary.