Judge vacates life sentence of Lamar Johnson after nearly 30 years behind bars
After spending nearly 30 years behind bars for a crime he’s long claimed he didn’t commit, 50-year-old Lamar Johnson walked out of prison a free man.
Johnson was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in 1995, after he was convicted of murder in the death of Markus Boyd. Police at the time said said Johnson and another man, Phillip Campbell, shot and killed Boyd over a dispute about drug money the year prior.
On Tuesday, Missouri Circuit Court Judge David Mason overturned the conviction and concluded Johnson’s trial included “constitutional error.” He added “there is clear and convincing evidence of Lamar Johnson’s actual innocence.”
Johnson became emotional upon hearing the announcement, shaking his head and covering his eyes while his legal team patted his back.
“This is unbelievable,” said Johnson, who thanked everyone who worked on his case, as well as the judge.
Johnson was granted a new hearing last year after St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner filed a motion alleging his conviction was based primarily on false eyewitness testimony. She also accused prosecutors and investigators of misconduct.
“While today brings joy, nothing can restore all that the state stole from him,” his legal team said. “Nothing will give him back the nearly three decades he lost while separated from his daughters and family.”
While Johnson was handed a life sentence, Campbell pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in exchange for a seven-year prison term.
With News Wire Services
