Two Florida men who spent decades in prison walked free Thursday after a judge determined there was insufficient evidence to find them guilty of murder.
Clifford Williams Jr., 76, and his nephew, Hubert Nathan Myers, 63, were convicted in the May 1976 death of a Jacksonville woman.
They have maintained that they were innocent all along and on Thursday a judge agreed.
Williams was imprisoned at the age of 34 while Myers was 18.
An investigation by the Innocence Project and a recently formed unit in the state attorney’s office found that there was not enough evidence to find them guilty.
Circuit Judge Angela Cox vacated their convictions.
The men had been behind bars for 42 years.
Another man, Nathaniel Lawson, told friends of Williams and Myers that he had committed the murder. He was never charged or investigated. Lawson has since died.
Under Florida law, a wrongfully convicted person who is later found innocent, is entitled to compensation.
As long as there are no prior felony convictions, they will receive KSh5 million a year until they reach a maximum of KSh200m.
