ANDERSON, Ind. -- He was 16 years old when a judge sentenced him to 60 years in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit – now after 21 years in custody, Trondo Humphrey is a free man.
Humphrey was serving time in prison for the murder of Benjamin Laflin in 1995.
“He said detectives told him what to say,” said Williams. “I think he had some ongoing criminal issues and was trying to help himself out.”
Williams filed for a post-conviction hearing in the case – and in May - his conviction was overturned after the Indiana Supreme Court determined Humphrey’s trial attorney failed to challenge key evidence in the case against him.
Madison County prosecutors started working to re-try the case, but without enough evidence and no witness testimony, Prosecutor Rodney Cummings said they were forced to dismiss the charges. Humphrey will not face a second trial for the murder.
Humphrey, now 38, was released Friday from Anderson County Jail.
“It’s just one of those cases where there was a complete breakdown,” said Williams. “I think, taking 21 years to rectify that, I don’t know why that is.”
