Walter Lee Gilbert
Photograph of Walter Lee Gilbert smiling at the camera with his hand on his hips, obtained from his Write a Prisoner profile page.
We often hear stories about people whose lives were completely transformed during their time in prison, who found positivity and room for empowerment in their life. Walter Lee Gilbert was an example of such a person. Walter, also known under the misnomer of Lamarcus Lee Hillard, passed away at the age of 40 on September 19, 2020 in residence at the penitentiary in Florence, Colorado due to an unknown cause. While the autopsy results have yet to be released, officials believe his death may have been homicide-related.
Excited at the prospect of communicating with penpals, Walter’s “Write A Prisoner” profile page revealed a side of him that depicted how happy he was with his newfound self. This happiness can be felt even with his opening statement, “I greet you all in love and bliss and I thank you for taking a moment to read my profile.” His identity was deeply connected to a newfound sense of spiritualism, which he found while in prison. As he describes, his “incarceration has awakened me to my life’s purpose on this planet.” This new door opened him up to a world of heightened personal enlightenment — he dedicated his time to self-discipline both mentally and emotionally. He was full of confidence, knowledge, and love for both himself and the world. In his own words, he described his essence as “divine love, which is the embodiment of truth, care, and justice.” Walter spent much time in prison becoming “disciplined in various aspects of my life, which “strengthened my focus and helped me to be more resilient.”
His self-assurance translates through his closing statement: “I represent sound, right wisdom, knowledge, overstanding, and have much to share with the world.” The eloquence and genuineness of his words shows the nature of his spirit — he had an incredible amount of light to shine and love to give. May Walter’s bright character continue to shine as he rests in peace.
This memorial was written by MOL team member Milkay Teysir with information from reporting by Tracy Harmon of The Pueblo Chieftain, Byron Brown of We’re Jackson Television (WJTV) Walter’s Write a Prisoner profile page, and a press release by the Mississippi Department of Corrections.