Thursday, November 8, 2007
Last One Standing
"Has-been" brawler George Tiller faces old age and 10 years in Parchman.
Posted by John Branston on Thu, Nov 8, 2007 at 4:00 AM
There is no statute of limitations on notoriety.
In March, George Tiller was sentenced to 10 years in prison without parole for selling 20 prescription pain pills for $100 to a police informant on three occasions at the Olympic Gym in Southaven. The drug, hydrocodone (Lortab), is used by millions of people and abused by a few of them, including Rush Limbaugh.
The sentencing range for illegally selling a controlled substance in Mississippi is unusually broad: a $5,000 fine and no prison time on the low end to a $1 million fine and 30 years in prison on the high end. Tiller pleaded guilty to what is called an "open plea with a cap," meaning he put his fate in the hands of the judge.
George Tiller has an extensive criminal record. An amateur boxing champion and all-state football player at Germantown High School in 1958, he signed with the University of Tennessee, lasted less than a year, got kicked out of the Marines, and lived on the edge as a street fighter, jailhouse enforcer or "rock bull," and "mule" for Mexican drug dealers. His brothers Mike and Albert and their cousin, Charles "Dago" Tiller, were also notorious Memphis tough guys who did prison time. Mike is believed to have been murdered in DeSoto County years ago, but his body was never found. Charles Tiller, beaten nearly to death with a baseball bat in prison, died in 2004 while serving 200 years for a double murder. Albert died two years ago.
I watched an outdoor boxing match on Beale Street with George last fall. The eyes that glared in police mug shots were no longer fierce, but he was still a hard-looking man, 6'-3" tall and flat-bellied from daily workouts. His hair was silver, and his face was smooth and dark. The beer was free where we were standing, but he sipped a Coke instead. He recalled his own ring record of 11 wins in 12 fights and joked that maybe he could take on another geriatric ex-Golden Gloves boxer, Mayor Willie Herenton, who was about to "fight" Joe Frazier.
At his sentencing before DeSoto County Circuit Court judge Robert Chamberlin, Tiller talked about his notoriety.
"My name, wow, Tiller, I guess it must still ring a little feather in the hat or maybe a jewel on the ground. I mean, God, it's been 40 years. I mean, my cousin is dead. My two brothers are dead. But I guess I'm like the last one standing."
He called himself "a 68-year-old has-been who's got one foot on a banana peel and one in the grave" and is fighting prostate cancer and cardiac arrhythmia instead of barroom brawlers. Two character witnesses — a former Olive Branch police officer and a Hernando minister — described him as a guy "who makes us laugh," "an asset to the community," and a churchgoer whose hobby is pitching horseshoes.
That pitch didn't sway Chamberlin or District Attorney Susan Brewer. They balanced Tiller's age and physical condition with his criminal history, including convictions in 2000 and 2002 for selling controlled drugs. They also noted that he said "I ought to kill you" to the informant and then showed him a copy of a book he was carrying. The title was Dead Man Walking.
"I just said it out of madness and frustration," Tiller told the judge.
"I think 10 years is being more than fair and more than lenient," Chamberlin finally said. "I sympathize with Mr. Tiller's health condition, but certainly, the Mississippi Department of Corrections has the ability to take care of that."
Brewer told me last week that even first offenders get prison time for distributing drugs in DeSoto County. Tiller's sentence was "sort of a lifetime achievement award."
He was sent to Parchman, the legendary Delta prison two hours from Memphis. If he lives to be 70, he will be in an exclusive club. Only 82 inmates — less than half of 1 percent of the 24,000 state prisoners in Mississippi — are 70 or over.
"Can you believe it's been a year since we had lunch?" he wrote me in a recent letter. "Time fly's out there, stops in here."
He can cut his time 15 percent if he behaves. That leaves just over 3,000 days.
There is a sad joke about an old prisoner who protests in court that he won't live long enough to complete his harsh sentence.
"That's all right," says the judge. "Just do what you can."
Comments (11)
Showing 1-11 of 11
Mr. Branston, I would like to know to get in touch with George Tiller as I would like to see if he could have any information about some incidents that happened around 1964 regarding my father .
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Please give address at prison to reach Mr George Tiller. It is important to me that I write to him and see if he will be able to shed light on my fathers death in 1964.I am not seeking any type of revenge . Just resolution. thanks!
for those of you who did not know them as I knew them, they were not all that bad as they were stereotyped to be. I am A son of one of the tiller brothers and know first hand they were'nt all that bad, they were made out ot me !!! God bless them
George Tiller wasn't doing anything everyone else wasn't doing at the time.In fact he probably did it a little better.Memphis was a pretty rough town at the time.I met George a few times as he and my Father knew each other.He seemed like a pretty nice guy.
i am soo sorry, my son felt that he needed to add a comment, but he is an alcholic.
he is doing commitment to a rehab to get a clear mind. All the things, George, Mike, (his dad) completely messed over his mind.
What a sad thing to be part of that family.
Wow! What a fucked up world an justice system when a
old man who had turned his life around mostly an had pleanty of ways cud have helped society that cud hav been taped instead of sendin him t jail an even if u thnk he shud do time not that much it simply doesn't even fit th crime. U can kill someone an do years less! YEARS! Why not sentence him to community service of sorts or a small stint. I mean come on judge we r talkin about drugs that cost him maybe 75$ an then cost him th rest if his life possibly. They set him up caus they didn't lik him n Ms. probably! Hopefully he will get a few more days t enjoy workin out " off th yard" but it's not lookin promising. Oh, an if someone or he had insurance he is doin ten or mayb life over 20$. No that's fucked up!
george is my grandfather he had a son name troyce tiller thats my dad that also died in 99 i have never gotton to meet george or maryanne his wife it just sucks that he lived that kinda life
I am replying to the comment made by mrbig. I dont know if you know it or not but Troyce was not raised by his biological parents he was raised by my grandparents which is George's brother and wife. Yes it sucks that Uncle George and the rest of his brothers lived the way that they did but alot of it could be that their dad use to abuse them. (Not trying to condone them for what they have done cause my pepaw was abused too and he turned out perfect!!) and my family is happy to hear that you dont live a sad life it would have been nice knowing of you.
I am trying to get in touch with George tiller. He used to date my mother, Alma. if anyone knows how I could contact please let me know. Thank you. kelly
I saw George at tunica last night. He sat next to me at a poker table. Regardless what you think of him he is part of Memphis history. He was a perfect gentlemen, he remembered lots of statistics on old memphis sports, high school and colage. I would very much like to interview George. I would be willing to have the interview professionally video taped. If anyone is interested please contact me. Tim fielder 901-270-1226
There were many people in Memphis whose behavior could have taken them down the same road as Charles Tiller. Not that what he did was right at all. Some were lucky and some got caught. I know. My boyfriend (now husband of 50 plus years) and I were there.
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