Latest news with #exoneration
ABC News
14-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Kathleen Folbigg still fighting for compensation after being exonerated of killing her children
A woman exonerated of killing her four children after spending two decades in jail for their deaths says her "life is still on hold" as she seeks compensation from the New South Wales government. Once labelled Australia's worst serial killer, Kathleen Folbigg had her convictions quashed in 2023 and was released from prison. In 2003 she was convicted over the deaths of her children, Caleb, Patrick, Sarah and Laura, who were toddlers or babies when they died between 1989 and 1999 in the Hunter region. Ms Folbigg said she wanted the compensation matter resolved as soon as possible. "I'm not asking to be treated any differently than anyone else who's been put through what I have," she said in statement. "I just need this to be resolved so I can begin to rebuild and move forward. "Adjusting to 2025 prices has been confronting. "Even basics like groceries, bills and public transport are so much higher than they were in 2003. Ms Folbigg's lawyer Rhanee Rego told ABC Radio Newcastle an application for an ex gratia payment was made in July last year but there had not been any progress. "During that whole time I've been asking them, 'What are you doing?' When can we expect an answer?' And all they tell me is that it's 'under active consideration'," Ms Rego said. Ms Rego said Ms Folbigg had recently secured a rental home after two years. "She was struggling a bit there, and every time she feels hopeful that something will be done she's shut down," Ms Rego said. "It's just really, really disheartening." Ms Rego said she and Ms Folbigg had asked to meet with Premier Chris Minns, but on Monday morning he publicly denied that request and said the matter was before Attorney-General Michael Daley. "They're in the process of demanding money from the NSW government," Mr Minns said. "That's being independently assessed by the attorney-general and I don't think it's appropriate that I have meetings before he makes a decision. "I respect his call in relation to her commutation … but he's got another decision to make. A spokesperson for Mr Daley said the application for the ex gratia payment was being considered. "The NSW government acknowledges concerns about the time taken to consider Ms Folbigg's application, which contains complex material," they said in a statement. "It is important this material is thoroughly considered before a decision is made." The spokesperson said there had been extensive communication between the Department of Communities and Justice and Ms Folbigg's team. "Ms Folbigg's legal representation has been advised it would not be appropriate for the attorney-general to meet her while the ex gratia payment remains under consideration," they said.
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Washington Post
2 men cleared in 1994 killing that sent them to prison for decades. New DNA tests cast doubt
NEW YORK — Two men who went to prison as teenagers for a 1994 killing were exonerated Thursday, after prosecutors said new DNA testing and a fresh look at other evidence made it impossible to stand by the convictions. Brian Boles and Charles Collins served decades behind bars before they were paroled; Collins in 2017 and Boles just last year. They're now free of the cloud of their convictions in the death of James Reid, an octogenarian who was attacked in his Harlem apartment. A judge scrapped the convictions and the underlying charges.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- The Independent
2 men cleared in 1994 killing that sent them to prison for decades. New DNA tests cast doubt
Two men who went to prison as teenagers for a 1994 killing were exonerated Thursday, after prosecutors said new DNA testing and a fresh look at other evidence made it impossible to stand by the convictions. Brian Boles and Charles Collins served decades behind bars before they were paroled; Collins in 2017 and Boles just last year. They're now free of the cloud of their convictions in the death of James Reid, an octogenarian who was attacked in his Harlem apartment. A judge scrapped the convictions and the underlying charges. Boles "lost three decades of his life for a crime he had nothing to do with,' said his lawyer Jane Pucher, who works with the Innocence Project. Collins' lead lawyer, Christopher Conniff, said Thursday's court action righted 'a terrible injustice.' 'While today's order cannot return to him the 20-plus years he spent in prison, he is happy that his name is finally cleared,' said Conniff, who's with the firm Ropes & Gray. A message was sent Thursday to a possible relative of Reid's to seek comment on the developments. A maintenance worker found Reid, 85, beaten and apparently strangled with a telephone cord, after noticing the man's apartment door was open, according to a New York Times report at the time. The apartment had been ransacked, according to the newspaper. Boles lived in the same building, and Collins was staying with him. The teens came under suspicion after they were arrested in a robbery about a week later. Collins and Boles gave confessions that their lawyers say were false and prompted by heavy-handed and threatening police interrogations. Boles recanted his admission before his trial, but he was convicted of murder; Collins subsequently pleaded guilty. Both were 17. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg 's office now says the purported confessions were contradicted by witness statements indicating Reid was alive hours after the teens claimed he had been killed. The men's trial lawyers and courts never got to see those statements. Nor were they given a lab report that undermined a detective's testimony linking Collins to a footprint found at the crime scene. Bragg, a Democrat who wasn't in office at the time, demurred Thursday when asked about officers' conduct, instead faulting 'the systems that were in place decades ago.' All the police and prosecutors who worked on the case likely retired or changed jobs years ago. While these old pieces of evidence proved to be problematic, new technology blew another hole in the case when prosecutors and defense lawyers reinvestigated it. A new round of DNA testing, using techniques unavailable in the 1990s, found that genetic material on Reid's fingernails didn't match Boles or Collins. It's not clear whose DNA it is, and Bragg said for technical reasons, the sample can't be fed into law enforcement databases to search broadly for a match there. But it could prove very helpful if a lead is developed in some other way, he said, urging anyone with any information to come forward. 'The injustice had many dimensions,' Bragg said. 'Mr. Boles and Mr. Collins — decades in prison. And a family that does not have closure. And a society that has someone at large amongst us for decades for a homicide that remains unsolved.' Boles, 48, took college classes in prison, earned a sociology degree this May and is building a career in working with marginalized people, his lawyers said. Lawyers for Collins, 49, didn't shed light on his pursuits.
Associated Press
10-07-2025
- Associated Press
2 men cleared in 1994 killing that sent them to prison for decades. New DNA tests cast doubt
NEW YORK (AP) — Two men who went to prison as teenagers for a 1994 killing were exonerated Thursday, after prosecutors said new DNA testing and a fresh look at other evidence made it impossible to stand by the convictions. Brian Boles and Charles Collins served decades behind bars before they were paroled; Collins in 2017 and Boles just last year. They're now free of the cloud of their convictions in the death of James Reid, an octogenarian who was attacked in his Harlem apartment. A judge scrapped the convictions and the underlying charges. Boles 'lost three decades of his life for a crime he had nothing to do with,' said his lawyer Jane Pucher, who works with the Innocence Project. Collins' lead lawyer, Christopher Conniff, said Thursday's court action righted 'a terrible injustice.' 'While today's order cannot return to him the 20-plus years he spent in prison, he is happy that his name is finally cleared,' said Conniff, who's with the firm Ropes & Gray. A message was sent Thursday to a possible relative of Reid's to seek comment on the developments. A maintenance worker found Reid, 85, beaten and apparently strangled with a telephone cord, after noticing the man's apartment door was open, according to a New York Times report at the time. The apartment had been ransacked, according to the newspaper. Boles lived in the same building, and Collins was staying with him. The teens came under suspicion after they were arrested in a robbery about a week later. Collins and Boles gave confessions that their lawyers say were false and prompted by heavy-handed and threatening police interrogations. Boles recanted his admission before his trial, but he was convicted of murder; Collins subsequently pleaded guilty. Both were 17. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office now says the purported confessions were contradicted by witness statements indicating Reid was alive hours after the teens claimed he had been killed. The men's trial lawyers and courts never got to see those statements. Nor were they given a lab report that undermined a detective's testimony linking Collins to a footprint found at the crime scene. Bragg, a Democrat who wasn't in office at the time, demurred Thursday when asked about officers' conduct, instead faulting 'the systems that were in place decades ago.' All the police and prosecutors who worked on the case likely retired or changed jobs years ago. While these old pieces of evidence proved to be problematic, new technology blew another hole in the case when prosecutors and defense lawyers reinvestigated it. A new round of DNA testing, using techniques unavailable in the 1990s, found that genetic material on Reid's fingernails didn't match Boles or Collins. It's not clear whose DNA it is, and Bragg said for technical reasons, the sample can't be fed into law enforcement databases to search broadly for a match there. But it could prove very helpful if a lead is developed in some other way, he said, urging anyone with any information to come forward. 'The injustice had many dimensions,' Bragg said. 'Mr. Boles and Mr. Collins — decades in prison. And a family that does not have closure. And a society that has someone at large amongst us for decades for a homicide that remains unsolved.' Boles, 48, took college classes in prison, earned a sociology degree this May and is building a career in working with marginalized people, his lawyers said. Lawyers for Collins, 49, didn't shed light on his pursuits.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
Wrongly convicted of murder, Baltimore man receives $2.85 million and an apology
BALTIMORE — A man who spent 27 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit has been awarded $2.85 million — and a heartfelt apology — by state officials. 'There are no words to express how deeply sorry we are for what was taken from you and for the failure of our justice system,' Lt. Gov. Aruna K. Miller said Wednesday while presiding over a Maryland Board of Public Works meeting. 'While no amount of money can erase the injustice you faced or the time that was stolen from you, I hope that this action by this board provides meaningful support, healing and comfort as you step into the next chapter of your life.' The board approved a payment of $2,748,795 to Langhorne for wrongful confinement under the Walter Lomax Act plus $4,692.50 in attorneys' fees, according to public records. In addition, he was awarded $99,720 in housing benefits. Langhorne was convicted in February, 1996 and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 24-year-old Laurence A. Jones in the 1400 block of Bank Street. He was 23 when he was arrested and spent the next 9,870 days behind bars, Miller said. He steadfastly maintained his innocence and in 2019, asked the state to review his case. Five years later, Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates moved to vacate his conviction, citing conflicting witness testimonies, a trial witness who recanted, and the failure of former prosecutors to disclose information about other potential suspects. Miller said that during a meeting in her office, Langhorne told her that he had been 'traumatized' twice: first for being incarcerated for a crime he didn't commit, and then when he was abruptly released from prison and thrust into a new life for which he was wholly unprepared. 'I've been home for almost six months and in that time I've suffered greatly,' Langhorne told the board. 'There's not a lot of resources for people in our situation. We come home different from people who are generally released. We're just let out. They give you $22 a month. There's no savings. There's no credit. Of course, you want to go home. You don't want to stay in just because you have no resources. You decide you'll figure it out.' He succeeded, but it wasn't easy. For instance, he has diabetes and told the board he 'went through every resource I could think of just to get medical insurance. Had I not had a friend in that field, I probably still wouldn't have it.' But Langhorne said he is focusing his anger on the individuals who harmed him rather than against society at large. 'I am angry at those who violated their trust as public servants,' he said. 'They went above and beyond to ruin a man's life, a father's life, just to obtain a conviction. But to be angry overall serves no purpose. That's something you have to let go.' And for him, part of that process involves speaking out about the pressures exonerees are facing. 'I need the public to understand that it's not just about being released,' he said. 'I know of people who were exonerated for crimes they didn't commit who came home and found themselves in such a dire situation that now they're back in prison for crimes they actually did commit. 'That in itself is a travesty. It is a double loss.' --------------
