Glynn Simmons: Man Declared Innocent After Spending 48 Years In Prison

• Oklahoma County District Judge Amy Palumbo has declared Glynn Simmons innocent after he spent an astounding 48 years behind bars
• Simmons, now 70 years old, was released after a district court discovered that crucial evidence, including a witness's identification of other suspects
• Simmons had served 48 years, one month, and 18 days in prison for the 1974 murder of Carolyn Sue Rogers during a liquor store robbery

In a momentous legal decision, Glynn Simmons, 70, has been officially declared innocent by Oklahoma County District Judge Amy Palumbo.

Why did the court change the ruling?

This was after spending a staggering 48 years in prison for a murder he did not commit—the longest-known wrongful sentence in the United States.

Simmons, released in July, had been incarcerated since 1975 for the 1974 murder of Carolyn Sue Rogers during a liquor store robbery in an Oklahoma City suburb, BBC reported.

The turning point came when a district court found that crucial evidence, including a witness's identification of alternative suspects, had not been provided to his defence lawyers.

On Monday, December 18, the county district attorney conceded that there was insufficient evidence to merit a new trial.

The following day, Judge Palumbo issued an order officially declaring Simmons innocent.

"This court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the offense for which Simmons was convicted... was not committed by Mr. Simmons," stated the judge in her ruling.

Simmon was waiting for this moment

Simmons, who had served over four decades behind bars, smiled as his innocence was proclaimed in court.

Dressed in a grey hooded sweater and fedora, the soft-spoken man addressed reporters, saying he had been waiting for this moment for a "long, long time."

The convictions of Simmons and his co-defendant, Don Roberts, initially sentenced to death in 1975, were later commuted to life in prison due to US Supreme Court rulings on the death penalty.

Roberts had been released on parole in 2008.

The National Registry of Exonerations revealed that the convictions relied heavily on the testimony of a teenager.

The teenager, after being shot in the back of the head, pointed to several other men during police line-ups.

GoFundMe campaign raises funds for Simmons

She later contradicted some of her statements.

Simmons, who has been battling liver cancer, acknowledged the irreversible nature of the past but emphasised the need for accountability.

“It's a lesson in resilience and tenacity. Don't let nobody tell you that it (exoneration) can't happen, because it really can,” Simmons said following the ruling.

"What's been done can't be undone, but there can be accountability," he told reporters.

In a remarkable show of support, a GoFundMe campaign has raised thousands of dollars to assist Simmons with living costs and chemotherapy expenses.

Wrongfully convicted individuals in Oklahoma are eligible for compensation of up to $175,000 (KSh 27,125,000), which opens the door for a federal lawsuit against Oklahoma City and the law enforcement involved.

Man freed 38 years after he was wrongly sentenced

In a related story, a 69-year-old man regained his freedom 38 years after he was wrongly imprisoned.

According to USA Today, Maurice Hastings was arrested in 1983 in connection with the murder of Roberta Wydermye, who was sexual'ly assaulted.

Wydermye was killed in 1983 by a single shot to the head after being assaulted.

Hastings was arrested for the crime and charged, resulting in his conviction in 1988 when he was sentenced to life imprisonment.