MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A man who spent three decades in prison for a murder he has always denied he committed, could soon go free.
On Wednesday, prosecutors will ask a court to throw out the conviction of Thomas Raynard James, who was found guilty in 1991 for the robbery and shooting death of Francis McKinnon in a Coconut Grove apartment, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald.
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Thomas Raynard James at State Attorney’s Office news conference on April 27, 2022. (CBS4)
James’ case came to light after a GQ magazine investigation found that investigators confused James with another man who shared the same name.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Justice Project spent a year reviewing the case, going over documents, and re-interviewing witnesses.
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The decision to reverse the conviction came after a primary eyewitness at the time said they were wrong in identifying James as the killer, according to the Miami Herald.
Another witness told investigators at the time that a man named “Thomas James” was involved, they believed it was Thomas Reynard James.
After he was convicted, James learned of the different Thomas James may have been involved, according to the Miami Herald.
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The other James, however, was behind bars at the time of the crime. However, he reportedly acknowledged during the GQ investigation that he knew the people who had planned the robbery and the imprisoned James was innocent.
