34
California man who served 38 years for murder he did not commit awarded $25m
(www.theguardian.com)
“No amount of money could ever restore the 38 years of my life that were stolen from me,” Hastings said in a statement. “But this settlement is a welcome end to a very long road, and I look forward to moving on with my life.”
The settlement comes after decades of legal battles during which Hastings pleaded his innocence.
was going to say, fuck your settlement - this isn't even remotely enough
The DNA profile was put into a state database and matched to a person who was convicted of a separate armed kidnapping and forced copulation of a female victim who was placed in a vehicle’s trunk – harrowing details that closely resembled Wydermyer’s killing.
Law enforcement apprehended the suspect, Kenneth Packnett, less than three weeks after the 1983 murder in connection with an unrelated car theft, Hastings’s lawyers said. When Packnett was arrested, police found jewellery and a coin purse that matched the items Wydermyer had when she was killed. Packnett wasn’t investigated for Wydermyer’s murder at the time.
jfc
“Police departments throughout California and across the country should take notice that there is a steep price to pay for allowing such egregious misconduct on their watch,” Nick Brustin, an attorney for Hastings, said.
we need significant reform, much more than paying out settlements as punishment