After 44 years behind bars, North Carolina man Ronnie Long has been freed after a federal court found his 1976 rape conviction was tainted by evidence that was never given to his defense.
Ronnie was 20 when he was arrested and accused of attacking a 54 year old woman named Sarah in her Concord home in April 1976. He was convicted by an all white jury of first degree rape and first degree burglary and was sentenced to life in prison.
NBC News reports that the state of North Carolina filed a motion in federal court on Wednesday asking to vacate the conviction, and Ronnie walked free on Thursday. Earlier in the week, a three judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that his rights were violated because evidence pointing to his innocence was kept from the defense at trial in Cabarrus County. Judge Stephanie Thacker wrote that the record showed a troubling and striking pattern of deliberate police suppression of material evidence. The court also noted that lab results did not link Ronnie to the scene, that DNA evidence went missing, and that 43 fingerprints found there were not his.
His attorney, Jamie Lau of the Duke Law Innocence Project, said forensic reports pointed to another suspect and were never turned over. According to court records, Ronnie’s mother and the mother of his young son said he was on a group phone call with them when the attack happened.
Speaking to reporters, Ronnie said, “This is real. I’m going to try to enjoy every minute of it.”
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