A resident of the American state of Michigan served 37 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, and was released after the witness confessed to a lie, reports the Unilad edition.
Walter Forbes was arrested in 1982 after breaking up a bar brawl. The next day, one of the participants in the fight named Dennis Hall shot at Forbes … Hall later died in a fire caused by arson.
The prosecution was based on the testimony of one witness, Annice Kennebrew. The woman said she saw Forbes at the scene of the fire. As a result, the American was falsely convicted of arson and murder.
In 2017, Kennebrew admitted that she hadn’t actually seen Forbes. She explained that she had slandered the man as she was intimidated by two local residents who lived next door to her. They threatened to harm her and her family if she didn’t tell Forbes.
Forbes, 63, who was released from prison after 37 years behind bars, said that although imprisonment seemed like an eternity, he is grateful to the witness for doing the right thing and for her decision to tell the truth.
It is unknown if Kennebrew will receive any punishment for perjury.
Earlier it was reported that a resident of the US city of Chicago, Illinois, eight spent years in prison for a crime he did not commit, proved his innocence and became a lawyer. He and two of his friends were arrested and charged with sexual harassment, despite the fact that the testimony of the witness contradicted the statements of the prosecutor.