A Minnesota man who spent 27 years in prison for a murder he did not commit has been released after a woman confessed to the crime. Bryan Hooper Sr, 56, walked free from Stillwater correctional facility on Thursday, following a judge's decision to vacate his first-degree murder conviction.
Hooper was convicted in 1998 for the murder of 77-year-old Ann Prazniak, whose body was found in a cardboard box wrapped with Christmas lights in her Minneapolis apartment. The conviction relied heavily on testimony from a woman who has since confessed to the killing, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.
County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement: 'Today, the courts have affirmed what Bryan Hooper, his family, his loved ones, and his advocates have always known: Mr Hooper is an innocent man.' She added that prosecutors have a duty to acknowledge mistakes and make things right.
District Judge Marta Chou ruled that Hooper's conviction was 'tainted by false evidence' and that without the false testimony, the jury might have reached a different conclusion. The Great North Innocence Project, which represented Hooper, said he reunited with his children and planned to spend time with family in the Twin Cities area.
The woman who confessed is currently in a Georgia prison for an assault-related crime and is due for release in about four years. The case will now be returned to Minneapolis police for further investigation.
