What happened to Lamar Johnson? Man freed after spending 28 years in prison over 1995 wrongful conviction

Lamar Johnson was sentenced to life in prison in 1995 for the murder of 25-year-old Marcus Boyd in 1994.

On Tuesday, February 14, 2023, a Missouri judge vacated Lamar Johnson's life sentence after he spent 28 years behind bars, where he remained resolute in his innocence.

Circuit Judge David Mason cleared fifty-year-old Johnson of any wrongdoing in the murder of Marcus Boyd after reviewing evidence that indicated prosecutorial misconduct and falsification of reports that led to the wrongful conviction of Johnson in 1995.

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Details of Lamar Johnson's wrongful conviction explored

In 1995 Lamar Johnson was convicted of fatally shooting 25-year-old Marcus Boyd in October 1994 over a $40 drug debt.

Johnson was sentenced to life in prison despite providing an alibi for the night of the murder. Johnson told authorities that at the time, he was with his girlfriend at a home located miles away from the crime scene, noting that he stepped out for five minutes to sell drugs.

However, Johnson was imprisoned based on coercive testimony from another suspect who was offered a reduced sentence in exchange for incriminating Johnson in the murder.

Following a lengthy investigation into Johnson’s account on the night of the murder, in August 2022, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner filed a motion to overturn Johnson’s wrongful conviction that led to a hearing in December 2022, where Johnson’s girlfriend at the time, Erika Barrow, provided testimony corroborating his alibi.

The judge also heard testimony from a witness in the case who recanted his previous statements incriminating Johnson and two other men who confessed and cleared Johnson’s involvement in the crime.

Special Prosecutor Jonathan Potts told KSDK that the recent investigations helped unearth the real murderers in the case and acquit Johnson. Potts said:

"We actually brought the true murderer out and he confessed in the open courtroom and admitted that he, and not Lamar Johnson, had actually killed the victim."

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In a statement after the ruling, Gardner, seemingly pleased by her client's acquittal, said:

"This case says that in the state of Missouri, a person's right to justice and liberty is valued more than the finality of an unjust conviction. My office fought long and hard ... We are pleased that Mr Johnson will have the opportunity to be the man and member of our community that he desires."

Lamar Johnson’s attorneys had previously criticized the Republican-led state attorney general's office for allegedly refusing to help overturn their client’s wrongful conviction.