Innocent in prison Man can leave prison after 28 years

Innocent in prison: Man can leave prison after 28 years

According to media reports, a man has been released from prison in the United States after 28 years behind bars. An appeals court in St. Louis, Missouri, concluded that the convict did not commit the crime – the 1994 murder of a man – according to CNN and other media outlets. The basis for Judge David Mason’s decision was the credible testimony of two men, one of whom confessed to the crime and accused an accomplice.

“First of all, I want to thank the people who had information about the case and brought the truth to light,” Lamar Johnson told a crowd of reporters and supporters after his release, St. Louis reported. LouisPublic Radio. He hopes his case will now encourage others who have also been wrongfully convicted.

Johnson receives no compensation

Johnson had an alibi for the night of the 1994 murder, according to CNN. But a witness implicated him, and in 1995 he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of pardon. Johnson’s attorney, Kimberly Gardner, filed an appeal in 2022, arguing that his conviction was based largely on false eyewitness testimony. At the same time, she accused prosecutors and investigators of misconduct. According to media reports, Judge Mason spoke of mistakes that violated the defendant’s constitutional rights.

The GoFundMe page asked for donations for Johnson. Among other things, he was told that he would not be compensated by the US state for the time he spent innocently in prison.