A man has been released from prison in the United States after 28 years behind bars, according to media reports. An appeals court in St. Louis, Missouri ruled 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 credible testimony from two men, one of whom confessed to the crime and charged 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 Public Radio reported. He hopes his case will now encourage others who have also been wrongly convicted.
Lawyer locates misconduct by prosecutors and detectives
According to CNN, Johnson had an alibi for the night of the 1994 crime. But an eyewitness implicated him, and in 1995 he was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole. Johnson’s attorney, Kimberly Gardner, appealed in 2022, arguing that his conviction was largely based on false eyewitness testimony. At the same time, she accused prosecutors and investigators of wrongdoing. According to media reports, Judge Mason spoke of wrongdoing that violates the constitutional rights of the accused.
The state will not reimburse Johnson for time in prison
The GoFundMe page called for donations for Johnson. Among other things, it was said that he would not be compensated by the US state for the time he spent innocently in prison.
Source: Krone
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