Kristin Lobato, now 41 and known as Blaise, was awarded over $34 million by a Nevada federal jury after being wrongly convicted twice and spending nearly 16 years in prison for a 2001 murder she didn’t commit. Overwhelmed with emotion, Lobato expressed relief after the verdict: “It’s been an uphill battle with many, many obstacles. And I’m happy that it’s all finally finished.”
Lobato was arrested at 18, charged with killing Duran Bailey, a homeless man whose body was found near a trash bin in Las Vegas. Police alleged she confessed to killing a man who attempted to rape her during a methamphetamine binge, despite no physical evidence or witnesses connecting her to the crime. Lobato consistently maintained her innocence, stating she never met Bailey. The jury concluded that Las Vegas police and two detectives, Thomas Thowsen and James LaRochelle, fabricated evidence and inflicted emotional distress upon her.
Lobato was awarded $34 million in compensatory damages, along with $10,000 in punitive damages from each detective. Her 2002 murder conviction was overturned by the Nevada Supreme Court in 2004 due to inadequate cross-examination of a key prosecution witness. She was retried in 2006, convicted of lesser charges, and sentenced to 13-45 years in prison. In 2017, the Innocence Project and Las Vegas attorneys secured her exoneration after presenting evidence proving she was in Panaca, Nevada—150 miles from the crime scene—when Bailey was killed. Reflecting on her long ordeal, Lobato admitted uncertainty about the future: “I have no idea what the rest of my life is going to look like.”
The verdict sparked ongoing legal contention. Clark County officials questioned the issuance of Lobato’s certificate of innocence, urging the state attorney general to investigate. Despite plans to appeal by the detectives' attorney, the Las Vegas police department had already agreed to pay damages if the jury ruled in Lobato’s favor.
Lobato’s case highlights the devastating impact of wrongful convictions, with her saying, “Becoming a millionaire doesn’t erase what happened, but I hope this brings attention to others like me.”
Link: AP News
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