Man Wrongfully Jailed for 16 Years Dies of Covid19 After Release From Prison
- Damon Thibodeaux died of Covid19 nine years after he was acquitted of murder charges
- Damon spent 16 years in prison before a team of lawyers proved his innocence
- His brother said Damon was not bitter and prayed to forgive those who jailed him
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!
A man who was acquitted of murder charges and released from prison has succumbed to Covid19.
Source: UGC
Damon Thibodeaux was wrongfully imprisoned for 16 years in 1997 before a team of lawyers proved his innocence.
Nine years after his release from prison, he passed away after contracting the virus.
Speaking to the press, the retired lawyer who helped Damon regain his freedom expressed disbelief at his passing.
Enjoy reading our stories? Download the BRIEFLY NEWS app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!
“It’s so unfair. I’m struggling to make peace with it, but you can’t,” Steve Kaplan told The Oregonian.
Damon passed away on September 2, aged 47, having spent a third of those years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.
Restarting life
After his release from prison, Damon started over and took up a job as a long-distance truck driver.
According to his brother David, he held no grudges and had rebuilt his life.
"He had no grudges, and should have been angry at the world, but he wasn't angry at anyone. He prayed to forgive those that incarcerated him," the brother said.
Falling ill
David said Damon fell sick while on the road and was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of the virus.
His health eventually started improving little by little, only for tragedy to strike.
David received a call from the hospital seeking permission to stop resuscitation Damon as his lungs had collapsed and his heart failed.
"As hurt and painful as it is, it's really inspiring to see people touched by his story. He's at peace," David said.
Conviction and release
Damon was arrested aged 22 after his 14-year-old step-cousin went missing when he was visiting her family.
When her body was found, he was interrogated for a long time, pushing him to confess to a crime he did not commit.
He was sentenced to death a year later, and after being on death row for 15 years, a team of lawyers proved his innocence.
Inconsistent witness state tests and lack of DNA evidence saw his conviction thrown out, and he was freed in 2012.
Source: Briefly News
Maryn Blignaut (Human-Interest HOD) Maryn Blignaut is the Human Interest manager and feature writer. She holds a BA degree in Communication Science, which she obtained from the University of South Africa in 2016. She joined the Briefly - South African News team shortly after graduating and has over six years of experience in the journalism field. Maryn passed the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course (Google News Initiative), as well as a set of trainings for journalists by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at: maryn.blignaut@briefly.co.za
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
