Donations for Man Wrongfully Jailed for 43 Years Exceed $950k
- Kevin Strickland, 62, was exonerated of three murder convictions and released from prison after 43 years
- However, the state said Strickland would not get compensation for his wrongful imprisonment
- To help him restart life, a charity started a fundraiser targeting $430 000 but they have collected over $950 000 so far
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!
After his release from prison, Kevin Strickland, a 62-year-old American man wrongfully jailed for 43 years, has received overwhelming support from well-wishers.
Source: UGC
A crowdfunding campaign started for Strickland, who was acquitted on Tuesday, November 23, has exceeded the target.
The GoFundMe account, created by the Midwest Innocence Project, targeted to raise $430 000 to help him restart life, but over $950 000 has been raised so far.
The fundraiser was started after it was established that Strickland would not receive compensation from the state of Missouri for wrongful imprisonment.
Enjoy reading our stories? Download the BRIEFLY NEWS app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!
To hit the targeted amount, over 17,000 people donated to the cause.
The Midwest Innocence Project sent a message to all those who donated reading:
“Thank you all for your support! All funds go directly to Mr Strickland, who the state of Missouri won't provide a dime to for the 43 years they stole from him.”
Strickland exonerated
Strickland, whose confinement is the longest wrongful imprisonment in Missouri history, was released from prison after a witness revoked her statement.
He had been convicted to 50 years in prison without the possibility for parole over the murder of three people in 1978.
The only survivor of the crime, Cynthia Douglas, testified against Strickland but later said she made a mistake and falsely identified him.
Speaking after his release, Strickland said:
“Still in disbelief. I didn't think this day would come."
Man gets $25 million
Briefly News previously reported that a man wrongfully jailed for 22 years was awarded $25 million.
Eddie Bolden, now aged 51, was convicted in 1994 for killing two people in Chicago, US.
However, it was later established that he was wrongfully imprisoned after he served 22 years in jail.
Bolden was freed in 2016 and sued Chicago, and a jury ordered the city to pay him the record-breaking sum.
Source: Briefly News
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 16 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.
Mxolisi Mngadi (Editor) Mxolisi Mngadi is an entertainment reporter. He graduated in 2002 from Damelin with a Diploma in Journalism, majoring in African and International Studies, Journalism and Electronic Media. He then started his journalism career at the Daily Sun newspaper, went on to The Citizen, and worked as a senior reporter at News24. He has been a writer for more than 15 years.
