The Brief
- Marquez Powell was exonerated Thursday after spending nearly 21 years behind bars for a murder he said he did not commit.
- Newly developed DNA evidence led prosecutors and the Georgia Innocence Project to jointly seek a new trial.
- A Fulton County judge vacated Powell’s conviction, and prosecutors dismissed all charges.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – A Georgia man who spent almost 21 years in prison for a murder he consistently said he did not commit was exonerated Thursday and released from custody.
What we know:
Marquez Powell, 41, walked free from Hancock State Prison after a Fulton County judge granted a joint motion for a new trial filed by the Georgia Innocence Project and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit. Prosecutors subsequently moved to dismiss all charges against him.
New DNA evidence prompted review
The case centered on the 2005 killing of Shah Walton.…