Wrongfully Imprisoned. Freed. And Now: a Murderer

Shaurn Thomas is going back to prison in Philadelphia, this time for a murder he did commit. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the hard-to-fathom turn of events for the 50-year-old:

• In 2017, Thomas was freed from prison after 24 years when his 1992 murder conviction was overturned. The Pennsylvania Innocence Project had fought for his release, saying police failed to investigate his alibi, among other things.
• Last week, Thomas pleaded guilty to murder charges and admitted shooting 38-year-old Akeem Edwards in 2023. He will be sentenced in February and is expected to spend most of his remaining years behind bars.

• As the Guardian notes, one of the bitter ironies is that Thomas received a $4.1 million payout from the city of Philadelphia over his wrongful incarceration. Yet he shot Edwards over a $1,200 drug debt.
• Also wrenching: Thomas met Edwards through a support network for those who have been wrongfully imprisoned. Edwards was the childhood friend of a woman Thomas met in the group and began dating. Her brother had been wrongfully incarcerated. She would later testify that Thomas told her he was involved in at least three homicides.
• "Are these facts true?" asked an incredulous Judge Roxanne Covington. "Yes, your honor," Thomas responded.

(More Philadelphia stories.)