Marvin Haynes, convicted in 2005 for the 2004 killing of a flower shop clerk in #Minneapolis, has been freed after the prosecutor's office requested his conviction be overturned, citing an unfair trial and a likely at-large killer. The move follows years of claims that Haynes was wrongfully convicted due to a flawed #police investigation.
His defense argued that witnesses were coerced, exculpatory evidence was ignored, and improper procedures were followed in suspect lineups. The prosecutor's rare decision to seek the vacating of the conviction came after a thorough review of the case, acknowledging a "terrible injustice." Haynes, who maintained his innocence, was sentenced to life in prison at 16. The case against Haynes relied on the testimony of witnesses, including a cousin and a 14-year-old, whose reliability came into question in 2022 when affidavits were obtained suggesting coercion and inaccurate identifications.
Minneapolis court found that suspect lineups were mishandled, violating policy. The release of Haynes, now 36, occurs as the Minneapolis #Police Department faces reforms following investigations into systemic discrimination and abuses, intensified after the #GeorgeFloyd killing in 2020. Haynes' sister, Marvina Haynes, who fought for his release, emphasized the broader impact of wrongful convictions on families and communities, stressing that the real killer might still be at large.
Link: New York TImes
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