Man wrongfully convicted in Bladen Co. double murder passes away
Joseph Sledge had settled with state agencies for additional $2.9 million last year
Man wrongfully convicted in Bladen Co. double murder passes away By Ann McAdams | January 11, 2021 at 1:46 PM EST - Updated January 11 at 5:29 PM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Joseph Sledge, the man who spent 37 years in prison for a double murder in Bladen County he did not commit, has passed away. His death on Dec. 1 comes just five years after he finally won his freedom from prison.
Shortly before his death, Sledge settled out of court in his case against two state agencies whose shortcomings kept him in prison for more than a decade after evidence was available to prove his innocence. WECT has just learned that in March 2020, Sledge settled with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Columbus County Clerk of Court’s Office for $2 million. In August 2020, he settled with the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) for $90