A Louisiana man, Royal Clark Jr., was released from prison on Thursday after serving 17 years for a crime that he did not commit.
On his 25th birthday, Clark was sentenced to 49 years back in 2001 for the alleged robbery of a Burger King in Terrytown.
When the New Orleans Innocence Project began to represent Clark last year, they were able to persuade the Jefferson Parish district attorney’s office to reevaluate the fingerprint evidence.
In a press release, the INPO stated “There is currently no clear law that gives prisoners a right to ask for these forensic database searches in cases not involving DNA. If the DA’s Office had refused to re-examine and run the prints, Mr. Clark would likely have stayed in prison until he was 74 years old for a crime he did not commit.”
An eyewitness, who falsely identified him as the burglar, was what solely determined Clark’s conviction. Upon re-examining the fingerprints, which came from a cup that the real burglar used before the robbery, a serial robber who is currently serving a 30-year sentence was revealed as the culprit.
When a reporter asked if he had ever lost hope, Clark said “I’m not going to sit here and lie to you and say I didn’t. Every man in that position, they don’t think about home sometimes because it’s so far away.”
The 42-year old was freed the day after his birthday, being reunited with his son, sister, mother, and father.
Nia Primus
