DNA tests clear US man after 23 years in prison
AFP
WASHINGTON - A Texas man sentenced to life in prison has been released after 23 years behind bars after DNA tests proved his innocence, the man's lawyer said in a statement.
A judge in Texas released Ernest Sonnier on bond Friday, said lawyer Alba Morales, who works for the Innocence Project advocacy group.
Sonnier, 46, was convicted for a Christmas Eve 1985 rape that tests show he did not commit.
"This is a complicated case, but the bottom line is simple: Ernest Sonnier is innocent, and his long nightmare is coming to an end," Morales said.
Sonnier's mother Altha Davis said she always knew her son was innocent because they were together when the crime was allegedly committed.
"It's been long for me, so long," Davis told reporters in Houston. "I'm happy and so sad at the same time."
According to the Innocence Project, Texas is the US state with the highest number of prisoners found to be innocent following DNA testing.
Of the 241 inmates that were found innocent thanks to DNA testing since 1989, 38 are in Texas, the group said.
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