Exonerated Man Receives $1 Million From Donations After Serving 43 Years In Prison
Kevin Strickland became a millionaire just days after he was released following 43 years he spent in prison.
That’s thanks to the thousands of donations he received via a GoFundMe campaign that was launched earlier this year. According to the New York Times, the 62-year-old was convicted in 1979 for the murders of 22-year-old Sherrie Black, Larry Ingram, 21, and John Walker, 20.
He had long maintained that he wasn’t involved in the murders. On Tuesday, Judge James Welsh noted he was convicted despite the lack of physical evidence. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 50 years, but Welsh said it is believed that another man committed the murders and highlighted that the only eyewitness wanted to recant her testimony in the case.
The GoFundMe campaign was launched because Strickland was not eligible for financial assistance from the state. Its initial goal was $7,500.
