A Black man who was wrongfully convicted of a crime in 1994 has been recently released from prison. Lacino Hamilton was convicted of second-degree murder and felony firearms. DNA was helped used to prove his innocence was facilitated by Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Innocence Project.
Hamilton was convicted at 21-years-old and end up serving 26 years in prison. There weren’t any eyewitnesses in the case and his conviction was based in most part on the testimony of a jailhouse informant. The informant was later proven to be unreliable according to the Innocence Project.
During the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Conviction Integrity Unit investigation, biological evidence was discovered that was material to the identity of the perpetrator. The WMU-Cooley Innocence Project facilitated the DNA testing. DNA found under the victim’s fingernails excluded Hamilton and an unknown male contributor’s DNA was found. The DNA testing results, along with other new evidence in the case, established that Hamilton did not commit the crime.
“I’m a little overwhelmed right now,” Hamilton said during the virtual hearing. “I am extremely grateful and look forward to being a productive citizen in our community.”
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