Man Walks Free 24 Years After Wrongful Conviction: A Key Witness Lied on the Stand

by ali alia

A man from Charlotte, North Carolina, spent 24 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. First convicted and sentenced in 1994, Dontae Sharpe is a Black man who was only 19 years old at the time. He once thought that he was going to live the rest of his life behind bars. After finding out new evidence regarding the case, it was clear that Sharpe was innocent, resulting in his finally being released and becoming a free man once again.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time an innocent person has been given a guilty verdict and has been forced to pay the price of someone else’s wrongdoings. Luckily, this case now has a happy ending, and Sharpe, now 46 years old, is able to finally live his life to the fullest.

Sharpe was exonerated in 2019 after a pathologist’s testimony was added as new evidence. Sharpe had previously been convicted and sentenced to life in prison back in 1994 for the murder of another man in North Carolina by the name of George Radcliffe, but it turned out that there were several inconsistencies and a strong lack of evidence connecting the former to the crime. Sharpe was determined to prove that he had been innocent the entire time.

Finally, the truth was revealed, and it turned out that a key witness had lied on the stand over two decades ago. Now, Sharpe is a free man and is ready to make up for lost time. Read on to find out more about this case.

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In November 2021, CNN reported that Sharpe spent 24 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit and was exonerated in 2019. Now, he is finally free once again. “I’m free now, and the burden of carrying around that felony reputation of being a killer or murder, it was gone,” Sharpe said. “My family name has been cleared. Man, you know, it feels good.”

In August 2019, a judge overturned Sharpe’s conviction and allowed him a new trial, according to CNN. It turned out that a key witness’ testimony was inconsistent with autopsy reports. Laer, the teenage witness, revealed that she had not been there at the time the crime took place. The new evidence overturned Sharpe’s conviction, leading to him finally being released.

Sharpe was committed to proving he was innocent, and his perseverance is something that he learned from his mother. He explained, “All through my life, she always said… ‘If you didn’t do it, don’t say you did. And I’m going to have your back all the way.’” It took two years to process the pardon, but Sharpe persevered through it all.

Looking ahead, Sharpe is unsure what his future holds but is optimistic. “I could only take it day for day, one step at a time like I did while I was incarcerated, while I was in prison,” he said. “I know God got something greater for me, but right now I’m just stepping towards that, one step at a time.”

According to CNN, Sharpe can seek compensation from North Carolina for his wrongful conviction and can apply for $50,000 for each year spent in prison, totaling to $750,000.