DNA Evidence Sets Texas Man Free Today After 25 Years Behind Bars

Texas prisoner Michael Morton was released from Prison on Wednesday after a Texas appeals court examined DNA evidence from his wife’s murder scene in 1986 and determined he could not have committed the murder.

Morton, 57, is set to receive $80,000 for each year he spent innocently behind bars, an amount equal to $2 million.

Michael won his freedom when members from The Innocence Project examined his case and then fought to have a bloody bandana found near the murder scene tested for DNA.

Police soon discovered that the DNA from the bandana belongs to another man with a long history of criminal activity. Michael was freed after the finding and the real guilty party is now being sought out.

By examining the bandana police have learned that the man responsible for murdering Morton’s wife was also responsible for the 1998 murder of a women in Austin, Texas.

An attorney for the Innocence Project asked for Morton’s immediate release and said of the man’s time in prison:

“He’s anxious to get on with his life.”

Morton’s exoneration was announced five days ago however processing had to be completed before he could be freed. This is yet another reason for Texas and other states to ban the death penalty.

Do you think the Innocence Project is working fast enough to exonerate innocent parties? They are always looking for more volunteers which means there is likely many more innocent people behind bars.