• After serving over three decades of a 400-year prison sentence, Sidney Holmes, Florida man, was exonerated and released from prison on Monday night. 
  • The now 57-year-old man was convicted in April 1989 for being the getaway driver for an armed robbery in June 1988 outside a convenience store near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 
  • He spent 34 years in jail before his release.
  • The review unit determined that Holmes had a plausible claim of innocence and investigated further. 
  • The nonprofit OIC of South Florida is set to help him with reintegration services, job training, and placement.

After serving over three decades of a 400-year prison sentence, Sidney Holmes, a Florida man was exonerated and released from prison on Monday night. 

The now 57-year-old man was convicted in April 1989 for being the getaway driver for an armed robbery in June 1988 outside a convenience store near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

However, a review board re-examined the facts of the case and determined that Holmes was “very likely” misidentified. He spent 34 years in jail before his release.

“I never lost hope and always knew this day would come,” Sidney Holmes, now 57, said when he learned he would walk free. “I cannot wait to hug my mother in the free world for the first time in over 34 years.”

“I knew this day was going to come. Sooner or later,” Holmes told reporters. “Today is the day.” 

His family welcomed Holmes as he walked free from the prison. CBS Miami reported that he first asked to get something to eat. 

Holmes applied to have his case reviewed by the Broward State Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit in 2020, claiming factual innocence. 

The review unit determined that Holmes had a plausible claim of innocence and investigated further. 

During the review, they determined that the eyewitness identification of Holmes during the initial investigation was likely incorrect and that there was no evidence connecting Holmes to the robbery outside of the flawed identification. 

Additionally, an investigation launched by the brother of one of the victims found that Holmes’ car was likely misidentified at the time. Key differences between his Oldsmobile and the one used by the robbers were overlooked.

Based on the review, five of six independent panelists voted that Holmes was innocent and his conviction should be thrown out immediately. 

The victims in the case said they thought Holmes should be released, and deputies involved in the original investigation were shocked that Holmes served 34 years in prison and was sentenced to 400 years.

The nonprofit OIC of South Florida is set to help him with reintegration services, job training, and placement.

The case highlights the importance of reviewing potentially wrongful convictions, as even small mistakes in eyewitness identification and evidence collection can lead to wrongful convictions. 

The Broward State Attorney’s Office has stated that their only agenda is to promote public safety in their community and to ensure that justice is served. 

They commended the victims, witnesses, and law enforcement officers for their candor and assistance in reinvestigating a crime over 34 years ago.

Holmes’ story serves as a reminder that wrongful convictions can happen to anyone and that the criminal justice system must continue to strive for fairness and accuracy in all cases.

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