A man who spent 38 years in prison for a murder he did not commit has officially been declared innocent after DNA evidence pointed to another suspect.
Back in 1983, Maurice Hastings, now 69, was convicted of the murder of Roberta Wydermyer. She was killed by a single gunshot to her head and her lifeless body was discovered in the boot of her car.
Initially, the district attorney's office tried Hastings for special circumstance murder with the aim to pursue the death penalty, however, the jury at the time was unable to come to a verdict, according to Sky News.
He ended up being convicted of murder, sexual assault, and robbery and was eventually sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1988.
At the time of the victim's autopsy, the coroner performed a sexual assault examination, and semen was detected in an oral swab, as shared by NBC News.
Hastings first pursued DNA testing in 2000, but the DA’s office denied his request. He then submitted a claim of innocence to the DA’s Conviction Integrity Unit 21 years later, which thankfully led to the testing last year.
The DNA profile was stored in a state database and matched to a suspect named Kenneth Packnet, however, he passed away in prison in 2020.
Hastings maintained his innocence for almost four decades and before he was freed, district attorney George Gascón shared a statement that read: "What has happened to Mr. Hastings is a terrible injustice," per Sky News.
"The justice system is not perfect, and when we learn of new evidence which causes us to lose confidence in a conviction, it is our obligation to act swiftly," he added.
After almost 40 years, Hastings' conviction was overturned by a judge, and an emotional video of the moment was shared on social media.
Watch the heartbreaking video below:Now, prosecutors and Hastings' legal team returned to court to ask Judge William C. Ryan to take the further step in declaring him innocent of the murder.
The judge's declaration was described as "factually innocent" meaning that the proof demonstrates conclusively that Hastings was not one to commit the crime, according to Daily Mail.
As cited by NBC News, Hastings spoke after the hearing and said: "It means a lot. I'm grateful for the judge's ruling, and the apologies - everything has been wonderful today," and shared that he is "ready to move on with my life".
Gascón also put out another statement (via CBS News) about the newly freed man, writing that he "survived a nightmare," and "spent nearly four decades in prison exhausting every avenue to prove his innocence while being repeatedly denied".
"But Mr. Hastings has remained steadfast and faithful that one day he would hear a judge proclaim his innocence," he said. The DA also stated that the ruling will allow Hastings to clear his name and pave a way for him to seek relief for the wrongful conviction.
