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Tag: Death row 30 years

  • On Death Row For 30 Years, Now a Free Man

    On Death Row For 30 Years, Now a Free Man

    A Louisiana man on death row , who has maintained his innocence for over 30 years, has been released from prison.

    Glenn Ford, 64, walked out of a maximum security prison in Angola, La. Tuesday, after a Louisiana District Court judge vacated his murder conviction and death sentence. The judge ordered his immediate release.

    “My mind’s going all different kinds of directions, but it feels good,” Ford told WAFB News after walking out of the prison.

    Ford was convicted of the 1983 murder of Shreveport jeweler Isadore Rozeman, who was shot dead in his store on Nov. 5, 1983. At the time of the murder, police found no weapon and there were no witnesses to the crime.

    Ford was found guilty by an all-white jury and sentenced to die.

    Ford’s attorneys argued Ford was wrongfully convicted over the years. They said he had an inexperienced court-appointed lawyer and information was wrongfully suppressed.

    In 2013, prosecutors told the defense that “a confidential informant for the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office stated that Jake Robinson told him that he, not Mr. Ford, shot and killed Isadore Rozeman,” according to the Shreveport Times.

    At his release, Ford said he regrets the years he’s lost to a wrongful conviction.

    “I’ve been locked up almost 30 years for something I didn’t do,” Ford said. “I can’t go back and do anything I should have been doing when I was 35, 38, 40, stuff like that.”

    Ford was released after new information gathered by the state corroborated his 30-year claim that he was not present or involved in the killing of Rozeman.

    However, prosecutors would not release details about new evidence they possess, saying it could jeopardize their efforts in finding the real killer.

    The Rozeman family was pleased with the news of Ford’s release.

    “This is a positive reflection on the criminal justice system,” said Phillip Rozeman, nephew of the murder victim. “We don’t have animosity for anyone. If someone else was involved or others were involved in his death there also will be justice for those people.”

    As per Louisiana law, Ford is entitled to receive compensation of $25,000 per year up to a maximum of $250,000, and another $80,000 for loss of “life opportunities.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Death Row for 30 Years, Now Glenn Ford is Free

    Louisiana man, Glenn Ford, walked free on Tuesday evening for the first time since being incarcerated 30 years ago for a murder he didn’t commit, according to CBS.

    “My mind’s going all different kinds of directions, but it feels good,” Ford said moments after taking his first steps outside the Angola prison. He feels good, but does harbor some incredibly understandable resentment.

    “I’ve been locked up almost 30 years for something I didn’t do,” Ford said. “I can’t go back and do anything I should have been doing when I was 35, 38, 40, stuff like that.”

    He is now 64, and most of his life has passed. Ford was convicted in 1984 for the 1983 murder of Isadore Rozeman, 56, a Shreveport jeweler and watchmaker for whom he said he did some occasional yard work.

    Rozeman was found shot to death behind the counter of his shop on Nov. 5, 1983 and no murder weapon was ever found. There were also no eyewitnesses to the crime.

    The wrinkles in the case against Ford were numerous and are now a little disturbing. The most damning testimony came from a woman named Marvella Brown who happened to be the girlfriend of Jake Robinson, the man Ford implicated in the murder. Brown later testified that she had lied to the court.

    There was also the fact that Ford’s court-appointed attorneys had never tried a murder case before. And there was the entirely white jury of his “peers” which, after his conviction, called for the death penalty.

    In 2013, prosecutors notified the defense that “a confidential informant for the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office stated that Jake Robinson told him that he, not Mr. Ford, shot and killed Isadore Rozeman.”

    The family of Isadore Rozeman welcomed the overturning of Glenn Ford.

    “This is a positive reflection on the criminal justice system,” Phillip Rozeman, Isadore Rozeman’s nephew said. “We don’t have animosity for anyone. If someone else was involved or others were involved in his death there also will be justice for those people.”

    According to The Shreveport Times, he also stated about the incident, “From a personal viewpoint for our family, this was a hard time and it was tragic that he was killed. It had a major impact, especially on my father, I think it had a negative impact on his health. My uncle was a kind and gentle person. He never hurt anyone. It was tragic he was killed for a few antique watches and clocks, that someone felt they needed to kill him for that.”

    Image via YouTube