From [HERE] A Black man convicted of a southern Illinois murder 14 years ago is scheduled to be set free today because of the efforts of the Illinois Innocence Project housed at the University of Illinois Springfield.

Anthony Murray, 40, had been convicted of first-degree murder for his alleged involvement in the death of Seneca Jones of Centralia. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison. A Marion County judge in August ordered vacated Murray‘s conviction for stabbing Jones to death after a dice game.

UIS students helped review the case and assisted Innocence Project lawyer John Hanlon and Marion County public defender Timothy Hewitt. The students searched for new evidence, interviewed Murray and attended a June hearing challenging his conviction. The student efforts contributed to a ruling by Marion County Associate Judge Marc Kelly that Murray‘s conviction should be vacated due to ineffective legal representation at his second trial.

The judge found that Murray‘s Chicago attorney made a mistake when he called Georgetta Anderson as a witness, even though he knew her testimony would implicate Murray. The lawyer’s decision was so prejudicial that the outcome of the trial probably would have been different had Anderson not been called by the defense, Kelly found. In order to gain his freedom, Murray accepted a plea to second-degree murder Tuesday. He was to be released based on time served in prison.

The plea, called an Alford Plea, allows an individual to gain freedom by pleading guilty to a lesser offense, while still maintaining innocence of the original crime. Murray indicated he wanted to go home to his mother and family, supporters said.

“Given new evidence of Anthony’s innocence, it is clear that Anthony was not even at the scene of the murder,” said Larry Golden, executive director of the Illinois Innocence Project. “The original conviction was an injustice that should never have occurred. While we are pleased that Anthony can walk out of prison, he should have been able to do so as a fully exonerated person. This is just another injustice allowed by a criminal justice system badly in need of reform.”