A man spends 38 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit and is declared innocent!

Maurice Hastings was wrongly convicted of robbery, murder and rape in 1983 and was serving a life sentence for a crime he did not commit. Finally, in October 2021, DNA testing identified another suspect in the 1983 attack, freeing him from prison after 38 years. In June 2022, a DNA sample taken shortly after the attack was finally tested and proved his innocence.

A man spends 38 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit

During the trial in California, Judge William C. Officially declared Ryan Hastings innocent, allowing him to be arrested and prosecuted off his criminal record. The 69-year-old said he was “grateful for the judge’s decision and apology” and was ready to move on with his life.

Witnesses at the time of the murder supported his alibi and no physical evidence linked him to the incident. However, he was wrongly accused and imprisoned for more than three decades. A DNA sample collected in 1983 was finally tested in June 2022, ruling out Hastings and pointing to Kenneth Bagnett, who died in 2020 after serving prison terms for kidnapping and rape.

During the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Martha Carrillo apologized to Hastings on behalf of the Los Angeles District Attorney and apologized for not complying with Hastings’ previous requests for DNA testing on the evidence.

With his record clean, Hastings wants to focus on enjoying life and helping others. He is currently attending an entrepreneurship camp and doing activities with homeless communities. After 38 years of injustice, Hastings now feels vindicated and ready to start over.

Source: CNN Brazil