Murder conviction of Chicago man who spent 12 years behind bars overturned because key eyewitness was legally blind
The witness was allegedly suffering from advanced glaucoma at the time of the crime, severely limiting visibility. Surveillance video from the scene also revealed the eyewitness was much farther away than he initially claimed to be, according to the Exoneration Project.
A Chicago man who spent more than a decade in prison after he was found guilty of murder primarily based on the testimony of a “blind eyewitness” will get a new trial, his attorney said.
Darien Harris, 30, was convicted following a 2011 shooting that left 23-year-old Rondell Moore dead and another seriously injured, the Chicago Tribune reported. Harris, who is Black, was 18 at the time and has always maintained his innocence.
On Tuesday, a Cook County judge vacated Harris’ conviction, the Exoneration Project said. Judge Diana Kenworthy said it was best to “start over,” according to the newspaper.
