A man from Minnesota, Marvin Haynes, who spent most of his life incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit, has finally been freed after a Minnesota court overturned his conviction.
Accused at 16 of a murder during a 2004 Minneapolis flower shop robbery, Haynes, now 36, repeatedly asserted his innocence, echoing his relief upon the court’s decision.
Acknowledging the miscarriage of justice, the local prosecutor deemed Haynes’ case “a terrible injustice.”
Eyewitness testimony formed the core of the case against Haynes, yet critical witnesses later recanted or admitted their inability to properly identify the suspect.
“I just want people to know that I am innocent. I was innocent from the very beginning,” Haynes emphasized during an interview with “CNN.
He also expressed gratitude for the recognition and understanding of his story.
Haynes’ long ordeal stemmed from a case largely built on flawed eyewitness accounts. Now free, he hopes to shed light on the need for reforms in the justice system to prevent such wrongful convictions in the future.
