Prosecutors Drop Charges in Florida Case, 27 Years Later

12.11.08

William Dillon was freed from Florida prison last month after serving 27 years for a murder he has always said he didn’t commit. DNA testing secured by the Innocence Project of Florida and Dillon’s public defender proved that biological evidence from another person was on a bloody T-shirt used against Dillon at his trial.

Dillon’s conviction rested on other highly questionable evidence, including testimony of a dog handler who was also involved in the wrongful conviction of Wilton Dedge, an Innocence Project client who was exonerated in the same county in 2004.

Mike Pirolo, Dillon's public defender, described Wednesday's development as bittersweet.

"Sweet that justice was done and he's a free man," he said. "Bitter that 27 years of his life was taken away that he'll never get back."


Read the full story here

. (Associated Press, 12/10/08)


Read more on the Innocence Project of Florida blog

.

More coverage:


Exonerated Wilton Dedge Inspired Dillon

(Florida Today, 11/20/08)


Video of Dillon’s release from prison

(WFTV)

The Innocence Project is currently reviewing Dillon’s case for possible inclusion in our database of DNA exonerations in the United States.

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