The Brief
- Sherman Townsend, 75, of Minneapolis, was exonerated by the Minnesota Board of Pardons on Wednesday.
- The pardon, which he had fought for since his 2007 release from prison, clears the felony burglary conviction from his record.
- A witness placed Townsend at the Dinkytown crime scene in August 1997; that witness later admitted to the crime but was never charged.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A wrongfully convicted man who spent a decade in prison before being freed after the witness who helped put him away later admitted to the crime secured a pardon on Wednesday, clearing his record.
Minneapolis man exonerated for home invasion he didn’t commit
The backstory:
On August 10, 1997, Minneapolis police arrested Townsend after someone broke into a home in Dinkytown. A witness had identified him as the person who ran from the crime scene.
The witness’ testimony helped prosecutors secure a felony burglary conviction, which sent Townsend to prison for a decade. In 2007, David Jones, the witness who helped put Townsend away, admitted to the crime. Townsend walked out of prison after serving half of his 20-year sentence, but he still had a record for a crime he did not commit.…