He is free after spending 38 years in prison for a crime he did not commit

The history by Maurice Hastings looks like something out of a movie. The man was released after spending 38 years in a prison in California (USA) for a crime he did not commit. Next, all the details about his case.

Hastings was behind bars after being charged in 1983 with one murder and two attempted murders. Since he was arrested, he maintained his innocence, but ended up receiving a life sentence, which was overturned almost 40 years later by DNA evidence. so it was decreed “during a court hearing on October 20 at the request of prosecutors and their attorneys from the Los Angeles Innocence Project at California State University”according to Guardian.

“What has happened to Mr Hastings is a terrible injustice. The justice system is not perfect, and when we learn of new evidence that makes us lose confidence in a conviction, it is our obligation to act quickly”Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement, always according to the aforementioned source.

At a press conference, which can be seen in a viral video published by the Youtube of CBS Los AngelesMaurice Hastings indicated that, for many years, he prayed for the day when he would be found innocent. “I am not standing here a bitter man. I just want to enjoy my life now while I have it.”held.

Guardian reported that Roberta Wydermyer was sexually assaulted and killed with a single shot to the head. Her body was found in the trunk of Maurice Hastings’ vehicle in Inglewood, a Los Angeles suburb. Hence the man was charged with murder under special circumstances. He was eventually convicted and sentenced in 1988 to life in prison without parole.

The district attorney reported that, during the autopsy on the victim, the coroner found semen on an oral swab. In 2000, Hastings requested DNA tests, but they did not approve.

Last year, the man entered a not guilty plea to the prosecutor’s Conviction Integrity Unit. Later, in June 2022, the DNA test indicated that the semen was not his. He belonged to a person convicted of armed kidnapping who died in prison in 2020.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.