Maryland Man Exonerated 17 Years After Wrongful Conviction for Murder

Social Justice

By ShaCamree Gowdy Published: November 4, 2021

Maryland Man Exonerated 17 Years After Wrongful Conviction for Murder

Tyrone Clark, a Black man who has spent the past 50 years in a Massachusetts prison, has had his 1974 rape conviction dismissed due to a severe lack of evidence and a witness who questioned her own identification choice.

In Summary

David Morris of Baltimore, Maryland is officially a free man after a new investigation found he was wrongfully convicted of murder nearly 17 years ago.

David Morris hasn’t seen the outside of a prison cell in almost 17 years. That all changed on Wednesday, after his conviction was overturned by a Baltimore City judge following a review of evidence that revealed he was falsely charged and convicted of murder in 2005, per CNN.

Morris was just 18 when he sentenced to life in prison with all but 50 years suspended for the murder of Mustafa Carter in 2004. The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) was alerted to the case by the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, per a press release, launching an extensive re-investigation that found he was, indeed, unfairly convicted.

Maryland State attorney Marilyn Mosby said Michael Nelson, the arresting officer, had a misconduct finding that should have been and would be given to the defense under existing procedures. He was later found guilty of wire fraud in federal court for selling bogus accident and burglary reports.

Nelson’s name also appears on S.A. Mosby’s “Do Not Call” list for 2021.

“This case exemplifies the deeply damaging nature of the historical failures of the criminal justice system and our duty as prosecutors to address the wrongs of the past,” said Mosby, per the release. “On behalf of the state, let me extend my sincerest apologies to Mr. Morris and his family for the unspeakable trauma inflicted upon him as a result of this wrongful conviction.”

According to the state’s attorney’s office, the CIU investigation found an additional suspect other than Morris had been identified and investigated before trial. Information pertaining to the previous suspect was not disclosed to Morris’ defense attorneys, nor was the fact that the arresting officer had a previous misconduct finding.

It was also discovered that Morris’ DNA was not detected on the victim’s jeans and the only identifying witness’ claims were conflicting.

To date, the CIU has exonerated 11 people who have collectively spent almost 280 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. In September, the SAO started the “Faces of Actual Innocence” campaign to educate residents and students in Baltimore City about on men who have been falsely convicted and provide resources for victims and their families get justice.

“The evidence at [David Morris’] trial was incredibly weak, and our post-conviction investigation unearthed even more evidence supporting his longstanding claim of innocence,” said Michele Nethercott of the MAIP. “We’re grateful to Mr. Carter’s family for assisting in the investigation despite the pain it must have caused, and we want to thank all former staff, students, and colleagues for their hard work. I look forward to seeing Mr. Morris as a free man.”