Glynn Simmons, now 71, has endured what few can imagine: over three decades confined to death row for a crime forensic evidence consistently proved he didn't commit. His story represents one of America's longest-serving wrongful conviction cases, exposing critical flaws within the justice system.
The nightmare began in 1975 when Simmons was convicted of murder during a liquor store robbery in Edmond, Oklahoma. Despite maintaining his innocence from the beginning, he was sentenced to death at just 22 years old. "They took everything from me," Simmons reveals. "My youth, my family, my entire life."
A Flawed Case From The Beginning
The prosecution's case relied heavily on a single eyewitness identification - now widely recognized as one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions. No physical evidence ever connected Simmons to the crime scene. Yet he spent 31 years in Angola Prison, Louisiana's notorious maximum-security facility, waiting to die for another person's crime.
"Every day was a struggle against hopelessness," Simmons recounts. "The mental torture of knowing you're innocent while waiting for execution is something no human should experience."
The Long Road to Freedom
Simmons's conviction was finally overturned in 2023 after renewed investigation revealed critical errors in the original case. The district attorney acknowledged the profound injustice, stating the evidence clearly demonstrated Simmons's innocence.
Yet freedom came with its own challenges. Released without compensation, housing, or adequate support, Simmons faced the daunting task of rebuilding his life in a world that had moved on without him.
Fighting for Justice After Injustice
Now officially recognized as an exoneree, Simmons faces new battles. He's pursuing compensation through Oklahoma's wrongful conviction statute, but the process remains painfully slow. The state offers $175,000 maximum compensation - a sum Simmons describes as "insulting" for 31 stolen years.
"No amount of money can give me back what I lost," he states. "But proper compensation would acknowledge the state's terrible error and help me live my remaining years with dignity."
Simmons's case has become a rallying point for criminal justice reform advocates, highlighting the urgent need for improved eyewitness identification procedures, better access to DNA testing, and stronger support systems for exonerees.
His story serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of judicial error and the resilience of those who survive America's most profound injustices.
