A federal jury in New Orleans, rewarded $14 million dollars to a former death row inmate who was close to just weeks of execution but was later exonerated.

The man is named, John Thompson and he is 40yrs old. He maintained through 18 years in prison that he was innocent of killing hotel executive Ray Liuzza, who was 34yrs old …. during a robbery in December 1984.

Although in 1999, weeks before Thompson was supposed to die, a defense investigator found a crime lab report that cleared him of the robbery charge. The blood type of the robber, found on the victim’s pants, did not match Thompson’s at all.

A judge resentenced Thompson to live in prison without parole, but the murder conviction stood until a state appeals court overturned it and ordered a new trial. Thompson was found not guilty in the retrial.

The Jurors in the civil trial have ordered the Orleans Parish and several current and former prosecutors to pay Thompson, Both attorney, Michael Banks & Cooney worked for 14 years, to have Thompson retried and acquitted.

What a lucky guy … he must be really happy to have finally got his freedom …. This makes you wonder, how many more innocent people are locked up wrongly. Anyways, good-luck to him and hope he can make the very best use of his second life.