Man, 51, released after serving 25 years for crime he didn't commit

A 51-year-old man served 25 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit

He was released after mistakes emerged in the evidence

He will likely receive compensation

A 51-year-old man in Detroit, US has just been released from prison after serving 25 years for a crime he didn't commit.

Desmond Ricks was convicted of shooting his friend Gerry Bennett outside a restaurant in Detroit in 1992. He was sentenced to at least 32 years.

However, he always maintained his innocence. With the help of the Innocence Clinic at the University of Michigan, his case was opened again in November 2016.


Desmond Ricks spent 25 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit
On May 26, a judge confirmed that police officers handling Ricks' case made mistakes and switched bullets in order to pin the crime on him. Consequently, the judge set him free the same day.

Speaking to reporters, Ricks said: "I've got no time to be bitter at anybody. There's no excuse for what they did, but I have to move on. I just didn't want to die in prison.


Ricks with members of the Innocence Project at the University of Michigan after his release
David Moran, the head of the Innocence Clinic, said the conduct of the police officers in question amounted to criminality that cost Ricks 25 years of his life.

Ricks is likely to receive $50,000 (N15.7m) compensation for every year he served in prison. Prosecutors dropped all charges against him, leaving him free to start his life all over again.