30 Years in Prison for a Crime He Didn’t Commit: US Man Gets Rs 109 Crore After Being Cleared!
Massachusetts (The Uttam Hindu): Michael Sullivan, a 64-year-old man from Massachusetts, spent nearly 30 years in prison for a murder he steadfastly denied committing. He was convicted in 1987 for the murder and robbery of Wilfred McGrath, based largely on the testimony of Gary Grace, another suspect whose charges were later dropped. Additionally, a state police chemist testified that blood and hair found on Sullivan’s jacket were consistent with the victim, McGrath. However, Sullivan maintained his innocence throughout.
Over the years, Sullivan suffered unimaginable personal losses. His mother and four siblings passed away while he was incarcerated, and his girlfriend moved on with her life. He also endured multiple prison assaults, including an attack that nearly cost him his ear and another that left him with a badly injured nose. Despite these challenges, Sullivan continued to assert his innocence, often describing prison as a "tough life."
In 2011, Sullivan's attorney pushed for DNA testing on the evidence that had been used to convict him, which had not been available at the time of his trial. The new tests revealed that there was no blood on the jacket that had been presented as key evidence, and no DNA match to McGrath. With this new information, a Massachusetts jury recently ruled that Sullivan was innocent of the 1986 crime. The state awarded him $13 million in compensation, though regulations limit payouts for wrongful convictions to $1 million.
Sullivan’s legal victory is part of a broader pattern of overturned convictions in the state, where more cases of wrongful imprisonment are being revisited and reversed. Sullivan, however, emphasized that the most important aspect of the ruling was the jury finding him innocent of the murder, which allowed for the expungement of his criminal record.
Despite his release in 2013, Sullivan has struggled to adjust to life outside of prison. He lives with his sister and spends much of his time with her pets. The world has changed drastically in his absence, and he remains haunted by his past, feeling disconnected and isolated. Yet, Sullivan has expressed gratitude for the justice he has finally received, noting that the compensation will be helpful, but his innocence is the true prize.
In 2019, the state decided not to retry his case, citing the death of key witnesses and the erosion of memory over time. Now, Sullivan is left with a painful legacy, a damaged life, and a victory that brings only partial closure to a decades-long ordeal.
