An American man spent almost 40 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit and has now been released after DNA tests showed he was innocent. It is about 69-year-old Maurice Hastings, who spent more than 38 years in prison in California for murder and two attempted murders in 1983. The 1988 murder conviction was overturned and Hastings was released from prison.
“What happened to Mr. Hastings is a terrible injustice. The judicial system is not perfect and it is our duty to act quickly when we learn of new evidence that makes us lose confidence in the justice system,” said prosecutor George Gascon.
Hastings, who has always maintained his innocence, told a news conference that he wanted to enjoy the rest of his life: “I’m not going to point fingers. I’m not standing here as a bitter person,” he told reporters.
To prove his innocence, he requested a DNA test in 2000, but his request was denied. Then, DNA evidence from the time of the 1983 killing was found to match records of a man who died in 2020 while in prison for an entirely different kidnapping and rape case, prosecutors said.
