A wrongly convicted man who served 24 and a half years of a murder sentence was released from prison Tuesday following a thorough review of his case by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit.
Jonathan Fleming was accused of shooting 22-year-old Darryl Rush on August 15, 1989, despite testimony from his mother saying she was with him in Florida at the time of the murder.
Fleming is now 51 years old.
The case was re-opened under former Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes.
Among the new evidence uncovered was a receipt showing that Fleming paid a hotel phone bill in Florida just hours before the murder was committed.
The DA’s office says a key witness in his trial had also come forward and said that she was pressured into testifying against him to have her own charges dropped.
Speaking to reporters outside the court room, Flemming and his family said they are not bitter, but instead overjoyed that justice has finally been served.
“Free man, free man, free man. It’s over. It’s over. It’s all over now and I waited for this day,” said Flemming. “I feel wonderful. I’m going to eat dinner with my mother and my family and I’m going to live the rest of my life.”
Fleming has not announced any plans for the future, adding that for now he’s just happy to be free.
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