Three men. Each innocent. They spent more than 58 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. Malcolm Alexander, 37 years, 10 months. Michael Shannon, 10 years, 8 months. Kia Stewart, 10 years.

On February 11, 2018, the murder charge against Michael Shannon was dismissed and the Orleans Parish District Attorney stated that “in all likelihood” he is innocent. Twelve days earlier, on January 30, 2018, Malcolm Alexander hugged his son, Malcolm, Jr. and his grandson, Malcolm, III as a free man when DNA evidence showed what poor lawyering couldn’t: another man committed the rape in Gretna. On April 13 2013, Kia Stewart’s shackles from his wrists were removed, and he walked out of the courthouse smiling into the arms of his family. Kia was just 17 years old when he was arrested.

Read more at http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/article_83fda69e-2318-11e8-ae83-835c1fc7aa90.html