Current:Home > FinanceMan imprisoned as teen for flower shop killing is released after judge throws out his conviction -EquityExchange
Man imprisoned as teen for flower shop killing is released after judge throws out his conviction
View
Date:2025-04-19 15:01:00
BAYPORT, Minn. (AP) — A 35-year-old man who was sent to prison for the 2004 killing of a man in a Minneapolis flower shop was released Monday after a judge ruled the eyewitness evidence on which his conviction rested was unreliable.
Marvin Haynes, who was 16 at the time of the killing, was released from prison shortly afterward the judge’s ruling.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said it agreed with defense attorneys that Haynes had proven in court that admitting the shaky evidence violated his constitutional rights during his 2005 trial for the killing of Randy Sherer, 55, who was shot during a robbery.
“I just want to thank everybody that supported me through this whole journey,” Haynes told reporters outside the prison. “And now y’all can recognize that I’m actually innocent.”
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement that Haynes’ prosecution was a “terrible injustice.” She said his conviction depended almost entirely on eyewitness identification and that there was no forensic evidence, such as fingerprints or DNA, nor video connecting him to the crime.
“We inflicted harm on Mr. Haynes and his family, and also on Harry Sherer, the victim, his family, and the community,” Moriarty said. “We cannot undo the trauma experienced by those impacted by this prosecution, but today we have taken a step toward righting this wrong.”
Moriarty said nearly 28% of cases nationally in which convictions are thrown out involve problems with eyewitness identification.
Judge William Koch held that absent the eyewitness evidence, which he said was unconstitutionally admitted, “it is doubtful there would have been sufficient evidence to sustain a conviction.” He noted that there was no physical evidence linking Haynes to the killing and dismissed all charges with prejudice, meaning they can’t be filed again.
Koch, who held a two-day evidentiary hearing on the case late last month, said in his order that Haynes’ attorneys, from the Innocence Project, showed he did not match the physical description provided by the primary eyewitness. Haynes was “significantly younger” than description of the killer, about 50 pounds (22 kilograms) lighter and “significantly shorter,” the judge said. Haynes also had “much longer hair” than how the witness described the attacker, and his “manner of speech was not similar.”
The judge also found problems with how investigators conducted a photo lineup that did not include Haynes. The person the witness initially identified, saying she was 75-80% sure, was in another state at the time of the killing. Investigators used an old photo in another lineup from when Haynes had close-cropped hair, but he had grown it long since them. The eyewitness did not identify Haynes as the killer until a third lineup and in her trial testimony.
During the hearing, Haynes maintained his innocence, and four of his sisters testified he was asleep at home shortly before the killing.
“We are delighted to see Marvin finally regain his freedom and for the truth of his innocence to win out,” Attorney Andrew Markquart of the Great North Innocence Project, said in a statement. “We are thankful to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for recognizing the strength of Marvin’s claim and for demonstrating the most noble ideals of the prosecutor in recognizing past errors and prioritizing justice as the highest value.”
It’s “well established that subjecting witnesses to multiple viewings of a suspect risks tainting the identification, the group noted.
At the time of Haynes’ conviction, the county attorney was Amy Klobuchar, who is now Minnesota’s senior U.S. senator. Moriarty, who was formerly the county’s chief public defender, said she was “deeply sorry” for all the opportunities Haynes missed while he spent more than half his life in prison.
“Doing the right thing sometimes means we must seek to undo the harms of the past, not defend them. And that is what we have tried to do today,” Moriarty said. “It is not easy to admit and correct our wrongs. But it is necessary.”
___
Karnowski reported from Minneapolis.
veryGood! (745)
Related
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Undefeated Eagles plan to run successful 'Brotherly Shove' as long as it's legal
- College football Week 6 grades: We're all laughing at Miami after the worst loss of year
- Impeachments and forced removals from office emerge as partisan weapons in the states
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- US Senate Majority Leader Schumer criticizes China for not supporting Israel after Hamas attack
- A Russian-born Swede accused of spying for Moscow is released ahead of the verdict in his trial
- EU Commission suspends ‘all payments immediately’ to the Palestinians following the Hamas attack
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Brock Purdy throws 4 TD passes to lead the 49ers past the Cowboys 42-10
Ranking
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Brock Purdy throws 4 TD passes to lead the 49ers past the Cowboys 42-10
- Sister Wives' Christine Brown Says She's So Blessed After Wedding to David Woolley
- Google just announced the new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones. Our phone experts reveal if they're worth it
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Impeachments and forced removals from office emerge as partisan weapons in the states
- Bills LB Matt Milano sustains knee injury in 1st-quarter pileup, won’t return vs Jaguars
- 'There is no tomorrow': Young Orioles know the deal as Rangers put them in 2-0 ALDS hole
Recommendation
'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
RFK Jr. is expected to drop his Democratic primary bid and launch an independent or third-party run
Alec and Hilaria Baldwin Bring All 7 of Their Kids to Hamptons Film Festival
Why October 12 is a big day for Social Security recipients
Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
Is cayenne pepper good for you? The spice might surprise you.
R.L. Stine's 'Zombie Town' is now out on Hulu. What else to stream for spooky season
Detroit Lions LB Alex Anzalone reveals his parents are trying to evacuate Israel amidst war