After 25 years behind bars, a Black man walks free. Racist detective ignored a key witness

Published September 6, 2023 4:56 PM

By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A Black man sentenced to death in Oregon for a 1998 murder is now free, two years after the state Court of Appeals reversed the conviction in a case that his defenders said was tainted by racism. Jesse Johnson spent 25 years in prison for a crime he denied committing. The Oregon Innocence Project, which represented Johnson in his appeal, accused the state of committing a heinous injustice in its handling of the case. Prosecutors asked the Marion County Circuit Court to dismiss the case, saying the state no longer believes it can prove guilt based on how much time has passed since the murder of Harriet Thompson.

Article Topic Follows: AP-Colorado

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