Minnesota’s pardon board will consider freeing a Black man who was imprisoned for life as a teenager in the 2002 slaying of an 11-year-old girl hit by a stray bullet while doing homework at her dining room table.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to Life As a Teenager Walks Free After 18 Years As Investigations Find His Murder Conviction Was Tainted
Black Man Walks Free After 18 Years in Prison After Board Commutes His Sentence
Black Man’s Sentence Commuted After 18 Years in Prison, Following Year-Long Investigation that Uncovered Problems With the Original Investigation
A Black Minneapolis man walked free on Tuesday for the first time in 18 years, after his life sentence in the 2002 killing of a child was commuted.
The Minnesota Board of Pardons commuted 34-year-old Myon Burrell’s sentence after an investigation by The Associated Press and American Public Media Reports revealed new evidence and problems with the case.
By ROBIN McDOWELL and MARGIE MASON Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A Black man who was sent to prison for life as a teenager took his first steps of freedom to the sound of ringing bells and cheering family members and supporters, hours after a pardons board commuted his sentence in a high-profile murder case.
Myon Burrell’s prosecution and harsh punishment raised questions about the integrity of the criminal justice system that put him away nearly two decades ago for the death of a young girl killed by a stray bullet. Earlier this year, The Associated Press and APM Reports uncovered new evidence and serious flaws in the police investigation, ultimately leading to the creation of an independent national legal panel to review the case.
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The report traces a line from historical lynchings to current executions, showing how Black inmates have been overrepresented on death row.
“It’s just a blessing,” he said, standing outside on the street searching the sky for the moon and stars, which he said he’s been longing to see.
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Burrell has always maintained his innocence in the 2002 killing of 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards, who was struck in the heart by a bullet while doing homework at the dining room table with her little sister. He told Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Atty. Gen. Keith Ellison, who serve on the Board of Pardons, that his “heart goes out” to her family. The third board member, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea, recused herself, citing prior involvement with the case.