Detroit Man Wrongly Convicted of Murders When He Was 15 Freed After Serving 9 Years

2stepz_ahead
2stepz_ahead Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 32,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/detroit-man-wrongly-convicted-murders-15-freed-serving-161504016--abc-news-topstories.html

A Detroit man who was incarcerated after being wrongly convicted of four murders is walking free today, after serving nearly nine years of a sentence he received at the age of 15.

The murder convictions for Davontae Sanford, now 23, have been vacated by Judge Brian Sullivan, and all charges dropped against him, Maria Miller, an assistant prosecuting attorney at the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, told ABC News today.

Sanford was serving a 37-to-90-year sentence for a quadruple homicide he was convicted of in 2008, his attorneys said. Sanford was 14 years old when he pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree homicide at the advice of a now-suspended attorney.

Heidi A. Naasko, a pro bono attorney for Sanford, told ABC News today that a hit man, Vincent Smothers, confessed to 12 murders two weeks after Sanford was sentenced in 2008.


The hit man was convicted of eight of the murders he confessed to, "but the remaining four he was not charged with because those were the murders that Davontae had confessed to," Naasko explained. "A year ago, the Michigan State Police did a reinvestigation of the case. It was very thorough. It took a year to do."

The reinvestigation into the murders, called the Runyon Street homicides, revealed major gaps in Sanford's confession, given when he was only 14.

A turning point arrived when investigators realized that it was former Detective James Tolbert of the Detroit Police Department who drew a diagram of the crime scene, not Sanford, as the original investigators alleged.

"Tolbert had in earlier testimony said that Davontae had drawn the diagram of the house where the murder took place, but during the police investigation, he changed his story and said, 'No, I drew the house.'" Naasko said. "It was a direct contradiction to his testimony on the record."

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office confirmed that account, noting, "former Deputy Chief James Tolbert contradicts his sworn testimony that Davontae Sanford drew the entire diagram of the crime scene, including the location of the victims' bodies, while being questioned by the police. This called into question Tolbert’s credibility in the case."

"Judge Brian Sullivan signed an order vacating Sanford’s conviction and sentence and directing that the Michigan Department of Corrections immediately release Sanford on his own recognizance," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Naasko said they are trying to pick up Sanford today, and she cannot wait to see him walk free. "We are just thrilled with the outcome," she said.

"If everyone doesn't have access to justice, there is no justice system," Naasko said.

Comments

  • 2stepz_ahead
    2stepz_ahead Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 32,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
    so even with someone confessing they still had the original confession of a 14 yr old an stuck with it...

    but white people and ? ass ? say let justice handle ?
  • numbaz...80's baby
    numbaz...80's baby Members Posts: 5,104 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Run up the check

    Barack+Obama+Animated+Dancing+Throwing+Money+Gif_obama_ballin.gif
  • jniam
    jniam Members Posts: 623 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Why did it take 9 years. Once the hit man gave up the confession then ole boy should have been out in 6 months tops (legal due process and stuff)
  • WiseKing
    WiseKing Members Posts: 110 ✭✭
    read about this a few months ago, glad he finally got out.
  • BelovedAfeni
    BelovedAfeni Members Posts: 8,647 ✭✭✭✭✭
    But Cosby said there are no political prisoners in America
  • Olorun22
    Olorun22 Members Posts: 5,696 ✭✭✭✭✭
    But Cosby said there are no political prisoners in America

    I don't give a ? what bill Cosby said because the problem going to exist when bill Cosby dead
  • Ghostdenithegawd
    Ghostdenithegawd Members Posts: 16,231 ✭✭✭✭✭
    bossdon201 wrote: »
    Swear this only happens to black people. I'm just happy it was 30+ years like you hear in most of these cases. Dude is still young and should get paid. Hopefully prison didn't ? his head up

    ? been locked up since 15 his head is ? up its over for that
  • Bcotton5
    Bcotton5 Members Posts: 51,851 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Stop ? with them public defendants
  • 313 wayz
    313 wayz Members Posts: 2,179 ✭✭✭✭✭
    En-Fuego22 wrote: »
    But Cosby said there are no political prisoners in America

    I don't give a ? what bill Cosby said because the problem going to exist when bill Cosby dead

    #bars
  • stackmaster 313
    stackmaster 313 Members Posts: 1,347 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I swear we have the worst justice system in the United States. Which isn't saying much but Michigan is the worst
  • dalyricalbandit
    dalyricalbandit Members, Moderators Posts: 67,918 Regulator
    9 yrs that ? sucks
  • So ILL
    So ILL Members Posts: 16,507 ✭✭✭✭✭
    9 yrs that ? sucks
    Bet that ? felt like a whole lot longer considering that he was innocent the whole time.
  • mrrealone
    mrrealone Members Posts: 3,793 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Smh, shouldn't have taken this long....
  • 2stepz_ahead
    2stepz_ahead Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 32,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
    why they make it seem like u getting help when they give u a public defender
  • CeLLaR-DooR
    CeLLaR-DooR Members Posts: 18,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
    9 years ? that's a long time. After a violation like that, all you can do is be happy you got out and are still very young at 23. Should see a few mills his way. I hope he's not too traumatisedan by the ordeal. Would be a terrible story if he came out and went right back in
  • willhustle
    willhustle Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 6,550 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Kym Worthy should be forced to step down or willingly step down from the prosecutor's office. I remember watching the news either late last year or earlier in the year about this case and they asked her about over turning his conviction. She basically said ? it because he confessed to the murders even though there was another suspect involved. Then the police chief at the time over this case purjured himself from evidence shown of his testimony now he could be facing life in prison.

    See now they wonder why ppl be like "? the police". The family should sue the city & DPD. The state just passed law, if you get wrongfully convicted you get 50k compensation for each year you were locked up. 9 yrs for forcing someone into confessing for a crime they didn't commit. ? Kym Worthy & ? that ? ass cop.
  • willhustle
    willhustle Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 6,550 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I swear we have the worst justice system in the United States. Which isn't saying much but Michigan is the worst

    Nah the justice system in the South from what I can imagine has to be worse because ppl get put on death row for crimes they didn't commit. In a lot of cases some of ppl are executed and are found not guilty after the fact through witheld evidence or conflicting testimony.
  • Bcotton5
    Bcotton5 Members Posts: 51,851 ✭✭✭✭✭
    willhustle wrote: »
    Kym Worthy should be forced to step down or willingly step down from the prosecutor's office. I remember watching the news either late last year or earlier in the year about this case and they asked her about over turning his conviction. She basically said ? it because he confessed to the murders even though there was another suspect involved. Then the police chief at the time over this case purjured himself from evidence shown of his testimony now he could be facing life in prison.

    See now they wonder why ppl be like "? the police". The family should sue the city & DPD. The state just passed law, if you get wrongfully convicted you get 50k compensation for each year you were locked up. 9 yrs for forcing someone into confessing for a crime they didn't commit. ? Kym Worthy & ? that ? ass cop.

    Word
  • Soloman_The_Wise
    Soloman_The_Wise Members Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ? Pretenders are paid by the same people paying the prosecution and they are being paid with money taken from you and I. They sit together all day and ? with one another they are coworkers and do there best to in most cases to make the others job easier ? is ill. Most of these kats are just 9-5'ers trying to get a paycheck so no ? given either way although every once in a while you get a ambitious one trying to make a name. Know your rights study the law and object to ? even if your attorney does not for you that way it is on the record your position for appeal and client attorney conflict. You have to know enough about law procedure to work the pretender or it will work you...
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Regulator
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