Lifestyle

“You are free” – Man who was wrongly sent to jail at age 22 released after 28yrs

Published

2 years ago

February 17, 2023

A man wrongly convicted and jailed for close to 30 years has walked free after it was found he is innocent. Johnson Lamar, 50, locked up in prison since 1994 finally regained his freedom in 2023 after the case was revisited.

Johnson was convicted for the murder of Marcus Boyd who was shot dead by two masked men in St Louis, Missouri.

Police authorities had always believed that the killing of Boyd was connected to dru’g conflict but Johnson maintained his innocents all through the years.

He has always said he was at home when the murder happened and that he had nothing to do with it. Erika Barrow who was Johnson’s girlfriend testified that they were both at home at the time the murder happened.

The wrong conviction has now been overturned after he has spent 28 years in prison. His release was made possible after another prisoner confessed that he shot Boyd, UNILAD reports. Johnson has thanked everyone who contributed to his release. He has described his freedom as unbelievable. He said: “This is unbelievable.”

Johnson’s lawyers who handled the case have said there is nothing that will restore all that he lost while in detention.

They said:

“While today brings joy, nothing can restore all that the state stole from him. Nothing will give him back the nearly three decades he lost while separated from his daughters and family. “The evidence that proved his innocence was available at his trial, but it was kept hidden or ignored by those who saw no value in the lives of two young black men from the South Side.”