A Chicago man spent nearly a decade behind bars for murder, thanks to the eyewitness testimony of a witness who has since admitted to being blind.
Darien Harris was jailed in 2011 at age 18, just a week before his high school graduation, and accused of shooting a man at a Chicago gas station.
He now has a chance at freedom after it was revealed that star witness Dexter Saffold is legally blind and will receive a new trial as his conviction is overturned.
Harris, now 30, was sentenced to 76 years in prison after a 2014 trial for the murder of Rondell Moore, even though there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime.
Darien Harris, 30, was convicted of the 2011 murder of Rondell Moore, 23, and sentenced to 76 years in prison in 2014
Prosecutors had only Saffold's contention that Harris was the man seen on video surveillance at the South Side Chicago BP station who then fired the fatal shots off-camera.
“I kept trying to tell people he was lying… and here's what happened.” “He really lied,” Harris told CBS.
Saffold was questioned about his vision during the trial and told the court he had no vision problems and could see clearly.
But in a CBS interview in 2019, he admitted he was legally blind but still insisted he saw Harris pull the trigger.
“I developed glaucoma due to an eye disease,” he said.
“They didn't do anything wrong because they didn't know.” “I didn't have to tell anyone about my medical history.”
Saffold also filed a federal disability lawsuit in 2003, in which two doctors certified that he was legally blind.
Harris, now 30, was sentenced to 76 years in prison after a 2014 trial for the murder of Rondell Moore, even though there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime
Prosecutors had only Saffold's contention that Harris was the man seen on video surveillance at the South Side Chicago BP station who then fired the fatal shots off-camera
He then claimed in an interview with Harris' lawyers in 2018 that he told prosecutors before trial that he suffered from glaucoma and was legally blind.
Harris has always maintained his innocence, claiming he was at home watching LeBron James play in the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks at the time of the shooting.
Cook County Judge Diana Kenworthy last week vacated Harris' conviction and sentence, saying simply, “So let's start over.”
Harris will be retried on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a firearm.
The judge noted the seriousness of the charges and declined to release Harris while he awaits his new trial.
Harris was shackled at the ankles and wearing a blue prison robe. He didn't speak a word during the brief court hearing.
He waved to his wife, mother and an uncle who were sitting in the courtroom gallery before he was taken back to prison.
Harris was incarcerated in 2011 at age 18, just a week before his high school graduation
Rondell Moore, 23, was shot after he stopped at a BP gas station in Woodlawn after 8 p.m. on June 7, 2011, for a car problem
Nakesha Harris, Darien's mother, told reporters after the hearing that she had hoped her son would be released without a retrial.
“They’re wasting taxpayers’ hard-earned money,” she said.
“We are rehearing a case without there being any physical (or) DNA evidence.” “All the witnesses recanted (and) changed their statements, and the judge based his verdict on the testimony of a blind man.”
The defendant's wife, Jessica Harris, told reporters: “I thought I was going to keep him home for the holidays, so it's kind of disappointing to see them putting him on trial again.”
“But I will keep the positive attitude that he will be home soon.”
Rondell Moore, 23, stopped at a BP gas station in Woodlawn after 8 p.m. on June 7, 2011 because his car broke down.
Moore was assisted by a local mechanic who arrived at the station shortly afterwards on his bicycle.
Moore was shot three times and died in a nearby parking lot as he tried to escape. The 51-year-old mechanic survived gunshot wounds to his back and arm.
The station's surveillance system did not capture the shooting.
“I kept trying to tell people he was lying… and here's what happened.” “He really lied,” Harris said
Harris' wife, Jessica Harris, told reporters: “I thought I would have him home for the holidays, so it's kind of disappointing to see them bring him back.”
But prosecutors said the video shows a person walking away from a black Lexus and walking around the gas station building toward the area where the shooting occurred and running away shortly afterward.
The video showed a man whose slim build and short hairstyle generally matched Harris, but the suspect's face was not visible.
Saffold selected Harris from a police lineup and also identified him in court during the trial.
Cook County Judge Nicholas Ford said he based his decision primarily on Saffold's testimony.
Prosecutors vowed to pursue another trial, saying they had credible evidence from other eyewitnesses pointing to Harris' guilt.
Myerscough-Mueller, Harris' attorney, claimed police misconduct played a role in these identifications.
Harris is due back in court on December 19th, at which point a trial date may be set.