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Gerardo Cabanillas – 18 years old when he was arrested – had suffered “grave injustice,” Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón said on Tuesday (local time), according to a statement. The justice system failed in his case. New DNA comparisons have exonerated Cabanillas.
Cabanillas was sentenced to decades in prison in 1996. After his arrest, he initially swore on his child’s life that he had not committed the crime. However, he eventually made a confession during the police interrogation – the investigators led him to believe that he would then be released on probation. This was announced by the “Innocence Project”.
New suspect identified
The group stands up for those who may have been wrongly convicted. Cabanillas protested his innocence in court at the time, but was convicted. The DNA evidence identified another suspect, who is already in prison for murder.
After the hearing, his attorney Alissa Bjerkhoel said, “It’s been a long time coming… if you can even call it that at this point.”
In the US, old cases of innocent people being jailed for questionable sentences are repeatedly brought up. Only in May was an American released after 33 years in prison. Daniel Saldana (55) was falsely accused and convicted of attempted murder in 1990. Now he has been acquitted – and after his release he said: “It was a struggle to wake up every day knowing you were innocently locked in a cell.” (SDA/neo)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
