A man who has been wrongfully imprisoned since he was a teenager is now free after spending the majority of his life behind bars, causing him to miss critical moments in his childhood.
Marvin Haynes was charged in connection to the death of a 55-year-old flower shop worker, identified as Randy Sherer, during a robbery in 2004 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, The Associated Press reported. He was only 16 at the time.
Haynes was sentenced to life in prison the following year in what Hennepin County attorney Mary Moriarty called a “terrible injustice.” According to reports, a judge overturned his conviction because of faulty evidence in the case. In a statement on Monday, Dec. 11, Moriarty said that the office agrees that Haynes’ “constitutional rights were violated” during his life-changing trial.
“Mr. Haynes’ conviction rested almost exclusively on eyewitness identification. There was no forensic evidence, such as fingerprints or DNA. There was no video connecting him to the crime. The murder weapon was never recovered,” Moriarty said. “That should have made any prosecutor hesitant to bring charges because eyewitness identifications are often unreliable and one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions.”
“Nationally, nearly 28 percent of exonerations involve eyewitness identification. Mr. Haynes’ conviction is now one of them,” she added.
The judge, William Koch, stated that Haynes’ defense team from the Great North Innocence Project was able to prove that Haynes did not match the description of the killer given by the eyewitness, noting that he was ‘significantly’ younger, shorter, and weighed less than the suspect, according to the AP.
In his order, Koch also pointed out that Haynes’ hair was reportedly different, and ‘his manner of speech was not similar’ to the witness’ statement. Additionally, he found flaws in how the photo lineup was executed, which Haynes was absent for, according to the report. The witness initially selected a person who was not even in the state during the incident, and she also wasn’t 100 percent sure about her choice.
Haynes, who has maintained his innocence, was eventually singled out in a third lineup and later identified in the witness’ testimony, the outlet reported.”
“To Marvin Haynes: You lost the opportunity to graduate from high school, attend prom, have relationships, attend weddings and funerals, and be with your family during holidays,” Moriarty added. “For that, I am so deeply sorry. And for that, I commit to correcting other injustices and to making sure that we do not participate in making our own.”
Upon his release, Haynes, 36, said he plans to prioritize spending his time with his mother, who suffered from a stroke and who he hasn’t been able to connect with in years.
“I haven’t cried so much in 19 years. I’m so excited. Overwhelmed with emotion,” Haynes said at a press conference, according to the AP.
A GoFundMe was created to support him as he transitions back into society; it had raised just over $13,000 as of Friday, Dec. 15.
