Man Freed After 22 Years Due to Police Murder Case Misconduct

A Detroit man was released after serving 22 years in prison after his murder conviction was found to be tainted by a corrupt police officer’s testimony.
LaVone Hill, who had been sentenced to life in prison for a double homicide in 2002, walked free on Wednesday, his release prompted by prosecutors acknowledging misconduct in his trial.
Hill’s case revolved around the fatal shooting of two men in Detroit.
One of the trial’s key testimonies that secured his fate came from a rogue police officer, who was later convicted as a serial bank robber.
The 47-year-old was implicated following violence at a dice game on September 8, 2001.
His conviction rested in part on a signed statement from a witness who initially claimed to have seen Hill commit the crime.
Later on in the trial, that same witness would go on to recant their statement, stating that he had been coerced by police, specifically Detroit Police Sergeant Walter Bates.
Bates’ credibility played a pivotal role in the jury’s decision to convict Hill​​.
However, what neither the jury nor Hill’s defense knew at the time was that Bates was under suspension during the trial for reasons not disclosed to the court.
The former officer was later convicted in federal court for organizing a series of bank robberies, a fact that, had it been known, might have dramatically altered the outcome of Hill’s trial​.
“Not much shocks me anymore, but this did,” Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy said. “I have never seen anything like this in all of my decades of being a judge or a prosecutor.”
These inconsistencies further undermined the original conviction and contributed to Hill’s eventual release.
Represented by the University of Michigan’s Innocence Clinic, Hill’s case was re-examined, and further discrepancies emerged, including the revelation that the victims had been shot with a rifle, while the jury was told they were killed with a handgun.
Judge Worthy made her ruling following testimony from the county’s Conviction Integrity Unit. The jury also heard testimony from Bates, who denied any wrongdoing in obtaining the witness’s statement.
Bates declined to comment when reached by local outlet The Detroit News​.
Hill has maintained his innocence throughout his decades-long incarceration.
“I was not even there when this crime took place,” Hill told the judge upon his release. “I’ve sat in prison for almost 23 years because of the misconduct of the Detroit Police Department.”
His freedom marks a significant victory for the Innocence Clinic, which has played a key role in challenging wrongful convictions across Michigan​.
Though errors have been conceded, the prosecutor stopped short of declaring Hill’s innocence.
“I cannot say whether [Hill] is guilty or not guilty of this crime,” she said.
“This is what I can say definitively: Former Sgt. Bates’ testimony in Mr. Hill’s trial was a pivotal part of his case. No one during the trial—not the assistant prosecutor, not the defense attorney, or the judge—was made aware of Bates’ massive and ongoing criminal behavior before, during, and after the investigation and trial.”
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press