MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis man is free after spending 18 years in prison after a judge vacated his conviction in a high-profile murder case.
Marvin Haynes walked out of Stillwater prison around 11 a.m. Monday after his 2005 conviction for the shooting of a north Minneapolis flower shop employee was vacated. Haynes, who was 16 at the time, claimed he was home sleeping when 55-year-old Harry (Randy) Sherer was killed and his alibi was supported by family members.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office confirms that Hennepin County Judge William Koch signed an order Monday setting aside Haynes' conviction and that Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty agrees that Haynes and his legal team have proved his constitutional rights were violated during the 2005 trial.
In a statement following the news of Haynes' release, Moriarty said that the conviction was based almost exclusively on eyewitness identification, with no forensic evidence like DNA, fingerprints or surveillance video to connect Haynes to the crime.
Moriarty formally apologized to Haynes and his family in a press conference Monday afternoon, saying she hoped securing his freedom would be "a step toward righting this wrong."
“It is not easy to admit and correct our wrongs but it is necessary,” she said. "To Marvin Haynes: You lost the opportunity to graduate from high school, to attend prom, have relationships, attend weddings and funerals, and spend time with your family around the holidays. I’m so deeply sorry for that."
Haynes' sister Marvina, a tireless advocate for her brother while he was incarcerated, also spoke about his release.
"Today, we’re here to rejoice in Marvin's freedom, and to make sure that these types of injustices doesn’t continue to happen," she said.
Haynes, who learned he'd be a free man on his 36th birthday, was out for just over an hour when he had his chance to speak. He thanked Moriarty's office, his legal team at the Great North Innocence Project, the community and his family for their "support and love."
"It took 19 years but I’m here. I just wanna move forward and get my life back. That’s it." he said, adding he's "grateful" for their work, especially his sister's.
"My sister lost so much fighting for my innocence. Words cannot describe what she means to me and my family," he said.
Marvin's attorney, Andrew Markquart, said his team was "thrilled" watching him leave Stillwater Monday. He said they're introducing new legislation in an effort to prevent the same outcome in similar cases.
"He is a man who has every right in the world to be bitter, but he’s not," Markquart said. "I can’t wait to see what this next chapter of your life has in store for you."
Markquart said Haynes' defense team will explore compensatory options for Haynes' wrongful conviction and incarceration, but said at this point they're "taking one step at a time."
Haynes agreed, saying right now, it's about "the simple things."
"I just wanna see my mom."
The vacating of Haynes' murder conviction comes after a hearing Nov. 28 during which his legal team raised a number of challenges to the murder conviction, among them that the suspect lineups used to convict were constitutionally defective.
GNIP maintains that the original trial relied on "false evidence" from witnesses and "constitutionally defective eyewitness identification evidence." Haynes' attorneys claim that important eyewitness testimony in the case "should have been suppressed because it was the result of highly suggestive identification techniques and was wholly unreliable."
Later Monday, a spokesperson for Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Hennepin County Attorney at the time of Haynes' conviction, responded to KARE 11's request for comment, saying, "The Senator respects the judicial process. She has worked closely with the Innocence Project on reforms and has long supported their work, and will continue to do so."
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