Man Wrongfully Convicted for 1998 Murder Freed After 25 Years
In a remarkable turn of events, Jesse Johnson, aged 62, walked out of prison this week, finally tasting freedom after spending a quarter of a century behind bars. His conviction for the 1998 murder of Harriet “Sunny” Thompson, when he was accused of taking a young woman’s life, has been overturned.
Johnson was initially convicted of the crime that occurred 25 years ago in Salem, Oregon, when he was sentenced to death in 2004. The Oregon Innocence Project, which championed his cause, described the state’s handling of the case as a “heinous injustice.”
One glaring issue highlighted by the Oregon Innocence Project was the presence of racism in the case. A detective involved in the investigation had discouraged a neighbor, Patricia Hubbard, from sharing her crucial eyewitness account. Hubbard had witnessed a White man fleeing the scene on the night of the murder, a fact that directly contradicted Johnson’s conviction as he is Black.
The absence of Johnson’s DNA at the crime scene further cast doubt on his involvement. Thompson had suffered a gruesome fate, with multiple stab wounds and a slashed throat, as reported by USA Today.
In a shocking revelation, Hubbard revealed that the detective had dismissed her eyewitness account, remarking, “A Black woman got murdered and a Black man is going to pay for it.” Unfortunately, Johnson’s defense team had never pursued her testimony.
For over two decades, Jesse Johnson languished on death row at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem, his life hanging in the balance due to a deeply flawed case. The Marion County district attorney and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum were accused of obstructing efforts to test additional DNA evidence.
According to investigators, Thompson’s murder had been a robbery, and some of her jewelry was found in Johnson’s girlfriend’s possession after the crime. Johnson had maintained his innocence throughout, acknowledging his acquaintance with Thompson but vehemently denying her murder.
However, the passage of time and the unavailability of crucial evidence led the Marion County District Attorney’s office to decide against retrying the case. Consequently, the district attorney’s office requested the Marion County Circuit Court to vacate the case against Johnson, citing the inability to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
“I’m happy and excited and ready for the next phase now,” said Johnson, who had repeatedly turned down plea deals. “Been a lot of years for something I didn’t do.”
As the case takes this unexpected turn, prosecutors maintain that there are no other suspects in Thompson’s murder.