DETROIT, MICHIGAN — A Detroit man has been released from prison after spending 17 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit, following a court ruling that vacated his conviction based on new DNA evidence.
Conviction Vacated After Years of Legal Review
On March 24, Wayne County Circuit Judge Tracy Green officially vacated Dell Crawford’s second-degree murder conviction and dismissed the charge without prejudice. The case had been under review by Cooley Law School’s Innocence Project along with the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit, which played a critical role in reexamining the evidence.
Crawford had been serving a lengthy prison sentence tied to a 2007 homicide case in Detroit.
Original Case Raised Questions From the Start
Crawford was originally linked to the murder of Tatanisha “Joy” Williams, after he went to her home and later called 911 when she was found dead inside with two of her children present.
Despite the seriousness of the charges, there was no physical evidence directly connecting Crawford to the crime at the time of trial. Prosecutors relied heavily on a witness whose statements reportedly changed multiple times during the investigation.
DNA Evidence Changes the Case
The turning point came with new DNA testing, which revealed the presence of at least two male DNA profiles under the victim’s fingernails…