Missouri Man Walks Free After 27 Years in Prison as Murder Conviction Overturned
The murder conviction of a Missouri man, who has already served almost 28 years of a life sentence, was overturned by a judge. Win McNamee/Getty Images

The murder conviction of a Missouri man, who has already served almost 28 years of a life sentence, was overturned by a judge on Tuesday.

Lamar Johnson, 50, closed his eyes and nearly cried when Missouri Circuit Judge David Mason issued his ruling. Mason said he came up with this decision because there was "reliable evidence of actual innocence," the Associated Press reported.

"Evidence so reliable that it actually passes the standard of clear and convincing," the judge noted. After being cleared by the court, Johnson walked free.

About two hours after the judge's ruling, he approached reporters in the courthouse lobby and expressed gratitude to the judge and everyone who worked on his case.

"This is unbelievable," said the Missouri man, who refused to take any questions. Kim Gardner, the circuit attorney for the city of St. Louis, submitted a request in August asking for Johnson's release after an investigation by her office.

It happened after the Midwest Innocence Project convinced her that Johnson was telling the truth. Gardner is pleased with the decision, applauding the ruling.

"Mr. Lamar Johnson. Thank you. You're free... This is Valentine's Day, and this is historical," she said, as AP reported. Gardner noted that the Missouri man can now spend time with his family and lawyers.

Missouri Man's Murder Case

Lamar Johnson was convicted of murder for the 1994 killing of Marcus Boyd, who was shot dead while standing on his front porch by two unknown assailants. Police and prosecutors have concluded that a disagreement over drug money led to Boyd's death.

Johnson has always maintained his innocence, claiming he was with his girlfriend miles away at the time of the murder. The Missouri man noted that he had only left for a few minutes to sell drugs on a corner a few blocks from the murder scene.

After key witness and prison inmate James Howard admitted to killing Boyd, which affirmed Johnson's innocence, the judge decided to reexamine Johnson's case and found him innocent, ABC News reported.

Howard confessed to shooting Boyd in the back of the head and neck while in the presence of the second suspect, Phil Campbell, who pleaded guilty. Campbell then got a reduced charge in exchange for a seven-year prison term.

Howard was never charged with Boyd's murder. However, he is still serving a life sentence for a separate murder and other crimes which happened years after Boyd was shot dead.

During a weeklong hearing last December, Howard testified again and admitted that he and Campbell, who had already passed away, murdered Boyd that night over a drug dispute.

Howard claimed he decided to come forward because he felt responsible for Johnson's wrongful imprisonment. Reports said Gardner is now reviewing whether Howard should be prosecuted for Boyd's murder.

Another Eyewitness Abandoned His Testimony Against Missouri Man Lamar Johnson

According to the judge's order, James Elking, who identified Lamar Johnson as one of the killers, recanted his statement that Johnson was the shooter. The hearing also established that prosecutors gave him over $4,000 in "witness compensation" before the trial, which was not revealed at the time, CNN reported.

Lead prosecutor Dwight Warren told the outlet in 2019 that the witness "may have been compensated out of fear for his life and we may have relocated him, but this was 25 years ago, and I cannot tell you with certainty."

The order noted that evidence presented in the lawsuit revealed that police interfered with Elking's initial identification. During December's proceedings, Elking stated that he felt pressured to choose someone from a line-up.

According to the Midwest Innocence Project, which provided legal support to Johnson, state law prohibits the Missouri man from seeking any compensation for his imprisonment.

After learning that Johnson was already a free man and will now enter the "world with no resources to begin his new life outside of prison walls," the group established a GoFundMe page to help him start his new life outside jail.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Lamar Johnson Freed After 28 Years in Prison, Conviction Thrown Out - From CBS Mornings