A Florida man, Sidney Holmes, serving 400 years in jail for armed theft, has been exonerated after greater than 34 years in jail after the state of Florida reinvestigated the case and decided he didn’t commit the crime.

After spending over 34 years behind bars in South Florida, Sidney Holmes, 57, walked out of jail a free man on Monday, March 13.

In line with ABC Information, an intensive re-investigation of the 1988 armed theft case that led to Holmes’ conviction “raised cheap doubts about his guilt.

Broward County State Lawyer, Harold F. Pryor, acknowledged that Holmes was arrested in October 1988 for allegedly being the motive force for 2 unidentified males who robbed a person and a girl exterior a retailer at gunpoint. The automobile of the male sufferer was stolen by two unidentified males.

In April 1989, he was discovered responsible by a jury and sentenced to 400 years in jail. On the time, prosecutors requested the choose to condemn him to 825 years in jail.

The Conviction Evaluation Unit decided that there is no such thing as a proof linking Holmes to the theft aside from an incorrect identification of him and the automobile used within the theft.

Talking to reporters exterior the courtroom following his launch, Holmes stated he bears no hate in his coronary heart.

“I can’t have hate. I simply should carry on transferring.” he stated.