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Exonerated man walks out of prison 27 years after murder conviction
Nearly three decades after lies sent a Minnesota man to prison on a murder conviction, the truth set him free Thursday. Bryan Hooper, Sr., was exonerated only after a confession from the key witness in his case.
STILLWATER, Minn. (FOX 9) - Nearly three decades after lies sent a Minnesota man to prison on a murder conviction, the truth set him free Thursday.
Bryan Hooper, Sr., was exonerated only after a confession from the key witness in his case.
Embracing freedom
A Walk to Remember:
Hooper thrust his arms wide and embraced freedom for the first time since 1998.
His daughter and son welcomed him to the world outside prison walls and fences, where he’s spent most of their lives because of false testimony from four jailhouse informants and the woman who actually killed 77-year-old Ann Prazniak.
"I should have been out a long time ago when all the other individuals recanted," Hooper said outside the prison. "But apparently it ain't enough when they tell the truth, but it's enough when they lie."
What changed?
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MN man exonerated after 27 years in jail for murder
Bryan Hooper Sr. was exonerated 27 years after a murder conviction. FOX 9's Corin Hoggard has the story.
A crime to forget:
Only a surprise confession from Chalaka Young convinced a judge to set Hooper free.
She’s in a Georgia prison now and admitted to killing Prazniak.
The Minneapolis woman was taped up, her body put in a box and shoved it in a closet.
Young then turned the apartment into a drug den, which is why Hooper’s fingerprints were among those found there.
Only Young’s fingerprints were found on the tape used to tie up the victim, but it took her prison conversion for the truth to come out.
"She got sober," said Hooper’s defense attorney, Jeffrey Dean. "She found God. And with that, she had a crisis of conscience and decided to tell the truth."
Justice still to come?
New prosecution?:
The murder case now returns to Minneapolis police, who can make a new criminal referral to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office (HCAO) for Young's prosecution.
"At that point, we would be looking at what charges are appropriate," said Shawn Daye, chief of staff at HCAO.
Young has about four years left on her prison term in Georgia.
Hooper is in a hurry to make up for lost time by focusing on the people who fought for him and who missed him.
"Spending time with my family as much time as possible," he said of his plans. "That's the first and foremost. What comes after that? To be continued."
To be continued
Life after prison:
The "to be continued" started Wednesday with a stir-fry and some kiwi juice, which were high on his list.
Getting restitution for the time served is also on that list, but he says he’ll let that all work itself out while he gets used to his freedom.