December 21st 2023.
Glynn Simmons was released from jail in July after nearly half a century due to a crucial evidence that was not revealed to his defense lawyers. On Tuesday, Oklahoma County District Judge Amy Palumbo ruled him innocent of the murder of Carolyn Sue Rogers for which he was convicted, sentenced and imprisoned for in 1975.
At the age of seventy-one, Simmons is the longest imprisoned U.S. inmate to be exonerated. He expressed his joy through a resilience and tenacity-filled statement, “Don’t let nobody tell you that it can’t happen, because it really can.”
It was found that prosecutors had failed to turn over evidence, including a police report that showed an eyewitness might have identified other suspects in the case. As a result, District Judge Palumbo ordered a new trial in July and District Attorney David Behenna decided not to retry Simmons due to the lack of physical evidence.
Simmons is now eligible for up to $175,000 in compensation for wrongful conviction, though it will take years for him to receive it. To sustain himself, the 71-year-old is relying on donations for cancer treatment which he received shortly after his release. His defense attorney Joe Norwood said, “Glynn is having to live off of GoFundMe that’s literally how the man is surviving right now, paying rent, buying food.”
Glynn Simmons has faced an arduous journey, but he has emerged with his innocence intact and a renewed hope for the future.
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