Kevin Dugar: Man Who Spent 20 Years in Prison Released after Identical Twin Confesses to Crime
- Kevin Dugar spent almost 20 years in prison after he was convicted over a fatal shooting in 2003
- However, in 2016, his twin Karl Smith confessed that he was the one who committed the crime
- A judge refused to review Dugar’s case till recently when another judge had a look at it before setting him free
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A US man who spent almost 20 years in prison for murder he did not commit has been freed after his twin brother confessed to the crime.
Source: UGC
Innocent man jailed
The New York Post reported that Kevin Dugar was freed from the Cook County Jail in Chicago on Tuesday, January 25.
Speaking to the press, his lawyer said his client was thrilled after regaining his much-deserved freedom and was adjusting to everyday life.
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“He is overjoyed to be free but is also adjusting to a world that is quite different from the world he left 20 years ago when he was arrested for this crime he did not commit,” the lawyer said.
Brother’s confession
Dugar was convicted for the 2003 fatal shooting of a rival gang member before his twin's confession changed everything.
In 2016, Dugar's brother Karl Smith said he was behind the deadly shooting.
In 2018, a judge refused to offer Dugar a retrial, saying his brother's admission was not credible.
During his admission, Smith was already serving a 99-year sentence. However, Dugar got a lifeline when another judge started reviewing his case.
“We are hopeful that the State does the right thing and dismisses this case. But if the State persists, we look forward to vindicating him at trial,” Dugar’s lawyer said.
Millions for wrongfully jailed man
Briefly News previously reported that a man who spent 22 years in jail for a crime he did not commit was given billions.
Eddie Bolden, wrongfully convicted in 1994 for a double murder, was awarded more than R3.6 million in damages by a jury after he sued the city of Chicago and two police detectives.
Bolden was set free in 2016, two years after a court established that his trial attorney was ineffective.
He received a certificate of innocence that allowed him to get paid for his time behind bars.
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.
