Key takeaways:
- A California judge declared Dupree Glass and Juan Rayford innocent of attempted murder after a 2004 shooting.
- The proceedings included a dramatic confession by the actual shooter, Chad Brandon McZeal.
- Glass and Rayford were awarded $900,000 in compensation and have been exonerated of a crime they did not commit.
On Thursday, a California judge declared Dupree Glass and Juan Rayford innocent of attempted murder after a 2004 shooting. The two men had served nearly 17 years in prison for the crime before being freed in 2020.
The verdicts concluded a new trial that began in October after a state appeals court panel vacated their convictions. The proceedings included a dramatic confession by the actual shooter, Chad Brandon McZeal, a gang member who’s serving a life sentence for murder in an unrelated case.
Outside the courthouse, the men were cheered by family and friends. Glass and Rayford were also awarded $900,000 in compensation under a new law that requires the state to pay them $140 for every day they spent behind bars.
The case has been a long and difficult journey for Glass and Rayford, who have now been exonerated of a crime they did not commit. Their defense team expressed their joy at the outcome and thanked the judge for his decision.
Be First to Comment