A Cleveland man who spent 23 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit went free today thanks to new forensic evidence.
Family, friends and attorneys greeted Evin King as he left the Cuyahoga County jail this morning. His 1995 conviction for killing his girlfriend was overturned after a second sample of physical evidence tested after the trial also did not match King’s DNA, pointing to someone else committing the murder. King has always maintained his innocence, and he thanked those who helped him stay strong.
“The support that I get from family, friends and fellow inmates is astounding, especially when there’s love in their heart. You know what I’m saying? Because you got a lot of that fakeness out there. But you got a lot of brothers locked up that deserve to be out here, you know.”
King left the jail to celebrate at a nearby hotel with family, friends and attorneys with the Ohio Innocence Project, who helped free him. He is the 25th Ohioan the group cleared since beginning its work in 2003.
