CALIFORNIA – A California man who was wrongfully convicted for killing a former girlfriend and her son four decades ago has reached a $21 million settlement with the city of Simi Valley, officials said.
Craig Coley, 71, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 1978 murder of Rhonda Wicht, and her fouryear- old son, Donald, at their apartment.
He had always maintained his innocence, and was pardoned in 2017 by California’s then-governor, Jerry Brown, based on exculpatory DNA evidence found by investigators.
“While no amount of money can make up for what happened to Mr Coley, settling this case is the right thing to do for Mr Coley and our community,” Simi Valley city manager Eric Levitt said on Saturday in a statement.
The 39 years Coley spent behind bars was the longest prison term ever overturned in California, the statement said. (Reuters)
CRAIG COLEY (Reuters)
