Ricky Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman

Ricky Jackson (born 1957) and Wiley Bridgeman (born 1954) are two friends who were wrongfully convicted of murder in Ohio, United States in 1975. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, as of 2014 Jackson spent the longest time in incarceration among those who have been released on a wrongful conviction (39 years).[1][2]

Jackson's death sentence was commuted in 1977 due to a mistake in jury instructions.[3] Wiley Bridgeman originally received a death sentence, but it was commuted to life imprisonment.[3] Ronnie Bridgeman, Wiley's brother, was also convicted of assisting the other two.[4]

Wiley and Ronnie Bridgeman were initially released on parole in 2002 and 2003 after spending 26 and 27 years in jail although Wiley Bridgeman was later imprisoned again because of a parole violation.[5] Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman were ultimately released on November 21, 2014 [5] after the key witness in their jury trial recanted his testimony during a hearing in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.[6]

Charges

Jackson and the Bridgeman brothers were arrested in 1975 in Cleveland, Ohio as the alleged perpetrators of the murder of businessman Harold Franks on May 19 of that year.[3] Authorities believed that Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman attacked Franks as he walked to the store.[6] The perpetrators reportedly beat him, threw acid in his face and one of the men shot him twice with a .38 caliber.[6] The shooter also fired a round that hit the wife of the store's owner, Anna Robinson.[6] The men stole Franks' briefcase and fled to a waiting car allegedly driven by Ronnie Bridgeman.[6]

Authorities built their case against Jackson and the Bridgemans based on the testimony of then 12-year-old Eddie Vernon[6] although there were no other witnesses nor evidence to incriminate the accused.[5] Vernon said a friend gave him the men's names, and told the police he saw the slaying.[6] In 2014, in a signed affidavit recanting his testimony, Vernon said he was coerced by the police into testifying against Jackson and the Bridgeman brothers, and was not close to the murder, as the school bus he rode with other children was a block away from the crime scene, the Fairmont Cut-Rite on Fairhill Road in Cleveland, which is now Stokes Boulevard.[6]

Release

The exoneration process that led to the release and exoneration of Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman began with a story published in Scene Magazine in 2011 that detailed flaws in their case, including Vernon's questionable testimony.[3] Vernon recanted his testimony when a minister visited him at a hospital in 2013.[3] During a court hearing on November 18, 2014 Vernon described the threats by detectives and the burden of guilt he had carried.[3] On November 20 Cuyahoga County prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss charges against Jackson and Bridgeman.[3] They were released at separate court hearings on the next day. When released, Jackson said he does not "hate him" (Vernon): "He's a grown man today, he was just a boy back then".[2] In December 2014 Ronnie Bridgeman (who then used the name Kwame Ajamu) was also exonerated for his conviction as part of the killing.[4]

After his release, Jackson was awarded one million dollars.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The National Registry of Exonerations January 27, 2015" (PDF). University of Michigan Law School. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Ricky Jackson leaves prison: "The English language doesn't have the words to express how I'm feeling right now". (video)". The Plain Dealer. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Man walks free after judge dismisses 1975 case". CBS News. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  4. 1 2 Caniglia, John 'My battle has come to an end!' Judge throws out the 1975 murder conviction of Ronnie Bridgeman The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Retrieved 22 March 2015
  5. 1 2 3 Sherwell, Phillip (20 March 2015) America's longest-serving innocent prisoner receives $1m for 39 years in jail The Daily Telegraph, Retrieved 22 March 2015
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Ricky Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman: Exonerated friends leave prison after 39 years behind bars". The Plain Dealer. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  7. ↑ Skinner, Curtis (20 January 2015) Ohio man cleared of murder after 39 years in jail to get $1 million: newspaper Reuters, Retrieved 22 March 2015


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