A Missouri man has been freed after spending over 30 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, per NBC News.
52-year-old Christopher Dunn was just 18 when he was falsely accused of fatally shooting Ricco Rogers in May 1990. Dunn was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
As there was no physical evidence connecting Dunn to the crime, his conviction was largely based on testimony from two witnesses, ages 12 and 14, who said they saw the shooting.
The witnesses later recanted their testimonies and said they were coerced by prosecutors and police.
St. Louis City Judge Jason Sengheiser ruled in favor of vacating Dunn’s conviction in July, saying the circuit attorney “has made a clear and convincing showing of ‘actual innocence’ that undermines the basis for Dunn’s convictions because in light of new evidence, no juror, acting reasonably, would have voted to find Dunn guilty of these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt.”
However, Dunn wasn’t released until Tuesday (July 30) after Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed an appeal to keep him in prison. The Missouri Supreme Court reviewed the case and ruled that Dunn could be released if the St. Louis circuit attorney didn’t plan to retry him.
The circuit attorney confirmed there were no plans for a retrial, leading to Dunn’s release.
The Midwest Innocence Project said in a statement: “We are thrilled that Chris will finally be reunited with his family after 34 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit. We look forward to supporting Chris as he rebuilds his life.
“But our joy in welcoming Chris home is tempered by the additional days and moments stolen from him by this week’s proceedings,” the group added.
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