[Ammi]

A man has walked free from prison after 32 years after his murder conviction was overturned due to new evidence.

Gilbert Poole Jr, 56, was jailed for the murder of Robert Mejia in 1988 in Detroit, Michigan.

He had always challenged the ruling - despite his girlfriend at the time saying he confessed carrying out the stabbing to her.

Under Michigan law, anyone released after wrongful conviction is eligible to receive $50,000 (£35,000) a year - meaning Poole could claim $1.6m (£1.1m).

His release comes following a breakthrough in the case in 2015 - when blood which did not match either Poole or Mejia was discovered at the scene.

A judge dismissed Poole's conviction, and hours later he was released on Wednesday from a prison in Jackson.

He said in court: "I spent decades learning, reading, studying law, but none of that was working for me.


https://news.sky.com/story/gilbert-p...ommit-12317920

[Niamh.]

This is why the death penalty should be abolished. Poor guy though, all his youth wasted in Prison

[Kazanne]

That's awful, losing so many years of your freedom I hope this man is looked after now.

[bitontheslide]

i like to watch these american crime investigation type series. The amateurishness of investigations that happened 30 or 40 years ago was quite shocking. Compound that with racial bias very much evident then and criminals either got away with it or were locked up on a hunch. If they got it right it was more by good luck

[rusticgal]

No amount of money can give you your life back....

I just watched the series 'Now they see us' about the Central Park 5 when 5 youths served 5-16 years for a crime they never commited. The injustice sickened me to the core and I found it incredibly emotional.
Its bad enough when someone accuses you of something you didnt do but you cant prove it....but to spend years in prison and miss out on a huge chunk of your life must be the hardest thing in the world to have to deal with mentally.
Im surprised he is only getting £1m compensation....he should get so much more....but like I said it cant give you those years back.

[GoldHeart]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

This is why the death penalty should be abolished. Poor guy though, all his youth wasted in Prison

Yeah this is why I can never be fully on board with the death penality for this very reason.

[Mystic Mock]

At least he is back out now.

Horrible to know that things like this do happen sadly, hopefully this never happens to one of us on here or any of our family members.