Joana Marques Alves
A man was released from prison, after having been imprisoned for 38 years for a crime he did not commit, reports the Washington Post.
Joseph Sledge, now 70, was acquitted after a DNA test has shown that none of the organic compounds collected at the scene belonged to him.The man had been convicted of stabbing to death two women – mother and daughter.
A Public Prosecutor – who was not involved in the condemnation of Sledge – already had apologized for this and ensures that the investigation will be reopened. “The system made a mistake,” admitted Jon Davis.
Leaving the Columbus County Detention Center, Sledge said he was looking forward to sleeping in a bed “seriously” and swimming in a pool.He entered a car with your family and headed to Savannah, Georgia, where he will live with a brother.
According to the Washington Post, the state of North Carolina are required to pay $ 50,000 (about 44,000 euros) for each year that a person unjustly spent in prison. Doing the math, Sledge would have to receive 1.9 million dollars (about 1.7 million). However, there is a limit of $ 750,000 (about 670,000 euros) for the compensation granted by the State in these cases, which is the value that Sledge will probably receive.
Criminal act or accident?
Last week, another man was acquitted. Mr. James Hugney spent more than 35 years in prison after being found guilty of a fire in his own house in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, which caused the death of his own son, then about 16 years, explains the site Local 21 News.
The researchers said at the time that Hugney had put alcohol around the bed of his son and that he had fired the same. Just based on the observation of the site, officials said it was a criminal act. Hugney said to the end that he was innocent.
The case has since been revised and scientists have concluded that none of the arguments used to condemn Hugney was based on a scientific explanation. In recently made report, authorities say, based on the data collected and presented at the time, it was impossible to know whether this was a criminal act or an accident.
Hugney, now 72, was released last Friday. Pennsylvania is one of the states where there is no monetary compensation paras people who were unjustly imprisoned.
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