“I can have no hate”: Sentenced to 400 years in prison, freed on error

Cooperation for UOL, in Salvador

03/15/2023 18:51 Updated on 03/15/2023 19:21

Sidney Holmes, a 57yearold black man, was sentenced to 34 years in prison in Florida, United States, in 1988 for a robbery in which he was allegedly driving a getaway vehicle.

What happened:

  • A reexamination of the evidence revealed that the conviction was largely based on eyewitness testimony, which the court now found “incorrect”;
  • The brother of one of the victims of the theft determined that Holmes’ car which would have been the getaway vehicle differed from the vehicle described as an accessory to the theft and was likely misidentified;
  • The review of the case began after Holmes reached out to the Florida Innocence Project, an NGO that helps wrongfully convicted Florida prisoners;
  • The organization said it found a number of “evidence of genuine innocence,” including the fact that investigators disregarded Holmes’ whereabouts at the time of the crime, which has been confirmed by several family members.

I congratulate the victims, witnesses and law enforcement for their openness and support in reinvestigating a crime committed more than 34 years ago. Attorney Harold F. Pryor

According to Fox News, Assistant District Attorney Arielle Demby Berger told the press there was no evidence linking Holmes to the 1988 robbery.. “No fingerprints, no physical evidence. Nothing but a witness card, which we believe is a false identification.”

“Without hate”. Sidney Holmes left prison on Monday (13th) to greet his family who were waiting for him outside prison.

I’m looking for something to eat. I can’t have hate I just have to keep going Sydney Holmes

Holmes’ mother Mary tearfully told reporters that she was “very happy” and “kept praising God”.

The two attackers responsible for the crime, who held two people at gunpoint and stole a car, remain unknown.