Michigan Man Cleared Of 3 Murders After 16 years In Prison
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A man serving a life sentence was released from prison Friday after 16 years, following the dismissal of three murder convictions in southwestern Michigan.
A new investigation cleared Corey McCall of any role in the fatal shootings of three people at a Benton Harbor home in 2005, including the death of a 12-year-old boy, the attorney general’s office said.
Fresh evidence, including Walmart records, corroborated McCall’s claim that he was not at the scene, Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
“It goes without saying that it is tragic Mr. McCall has served any time in prison for this crime,” said Berrien County prosecutor Steve Pierangeli.
“Mr. McCall was convicted when the perpetrators of the crime had information of his innocence and waited until recently to disclose it,” he said.
Indeed, the gunman, Andrew “Pumpkin” Miller, told investigators that McCall wasn’t present.
Three people were shot in the head during a home invasion. McCall, now 39, was not accused of being the shooter, but he was identified by a survivor as someone who was armed and in the house.
Judge Angela Pasula, who presided over McCall’s trial, threw out the convictions Friday.
The case was reexamined by Nessel’s conviction integrity unit and the WMU-Cooley Law School Innocence Project.
McCall could be eligible for $50,000 from the state for every year spent in prison.
© 2021 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.