A California man Mr Craig Coley, wrongly convicted of murder has been awarded twenty one million dollars as compensation for his thirty-eight years in jail.
Mr Coley aged seventy-one, was jailed in 1978 for the murder of his ex-partner and her son, but consistently maintained his innocence.
He was released in November 2017 after DNA evidence cleared him during a review of the case.
His prison term is reportedly the longest ever overturned in California history. The compensation will be paid by the city of Simi Valley as part of an out-of-court settlement.
Simi City Valley Manager, Mr Eric Levitt, said while no amount of money can make up for what happened to Mr Coley, settling this case is the right thing to do for Mr Coley and the community.
The Vietnam War veteran, Mr Coley was jailed for the murder of Rhonda Wicht, aged twenty-four and her four-year-old son Donald.
Ms Wicht was found raped and strangled, and her son suffocated, at their apartment in Simi City.
After two trials, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Mr Coley said his sentence is not something you can describe other than that it’s painful.
His bid for freedom was aided by former police detective, Mr Mike Bender, who first expressed concern about the case in 1989.
Mr Bender noted that Mr Coley is looking forward to being able to live his life, adding that no one would want to trade places with him.
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