Man wrongly imprisoned for 48 years in US wins $7 million in compensation

Glynn Simmons, 71, was originally sentenced to death in 1975 for the murder of a liquor store clerk during a robbery in Edmond. His sentence was later changed to life in prison.

A 71-year-old African-American man will receive $7.15 million (€6.52 million) in compensation after languishing in prison for nearly half a century for a murder he did not commit in Oklahoma. Before being exonerated in late 2023, Glynn Simmons had become the longest-serving inmate in US history, according to the US National Registry of Exonerations.

Released after 48 years, one month and 18 days in prison, he had filed a lawsuit against the city of Edmond, Oklahoma, and a detective who helped lead to his arrest. On Monday, August 12, the city’s city council approved a financial settlement to avoid a court battle, according to public records. The settlement ends “a part” prosecutions initiated “against the cities and the police who falsified evidence (…) to have him accused of murder”Glynn Simmons’ lawyers explained in a statement released Tuesday.

“Mr. Simmons spent a tragically long time in prison for a crime he did not commit.”insisted Elizabeth Wang, one of his lawyers. “While he will never get that time back, this agreement with Edmond will allow him to move forward while continuing to pursue his claims against Oklahoma City and an inspector.” Contacted by AFP, the city of Edmond declined to comment.

Glynn Simmons was sentenced to death in 1975, along with another man, Don Roberts, for the murder of a liquor store clerk during a robbery in Edmond. Their sentences were later changed to life in prison. The convictions for both men were based on the testimony of a teenage customer who was shot in the head during the robbery but survived. The teenager claimed to have recognized them during the lineup, but a subsequent investigation disproved her claims.

During the trial, both men explained that they were not in Oklahoma on the day of the murder. Glynn Simmons’ conviction was overturned in July 2023 by the American justice system. He was officially declared innocent five months later, in December. Don Roberts, the other convicted person in the case, was released from prison in 2008, according to the American National Registry of Exonerations.