Ray Towler was released from prison this week after serving nearly 30 years for a rape he didn’t commit. DNA evidence showed that Towler was innocent. He is the 254th person falsely imprisoned and freed through DNA testing so far, according to the Innocence Project.
Towler holds no hostility and doesn’t blame anyone for the injustice bestowed upon him. The judge choked back tears as she recited an Irish blessing before freeing him and walking over to shake his hand.
Towler, a musician before his incarceration at age 24, will enjoy another dream come true: He’ll sit courtside Tuesday at a Cleveland Cavaliers game. He and three guests will sit behind the team as they play the Boston Celtics. He will also be on the court during pregame activities. The team invited Towler after it learned he is a big fan of LeBron James.
Ohio law allows wrongfully-imprisoned inmates to receive $40,330 for every year spent behind bars. He could sue the state for more than $1.2 million. He could also seek lost wages for those years.
Mark Godsey, a law professor and director of the Ohio Innocence Project which worked to free Towler, said he was among the longest incarcerated, possibly in the top four, people to be exonerated by DNA in U.S. history.
READ More at Cleveland Plain Dealer, and WATCH Towler go free and talk to reporters in the video below.
| Raymond Towler freed after 29 years in prison for rape he did not commit |