MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A man who spent three decades in prison for a murder he has always denied he committed, will 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.
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Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said she met with James’ defense team who were completely dedicated to proving his innocence.
“They never stopped believing in his innocence. For family members of Mr. James, for the next of kin for Francis Mckinnon, the victim, this is both a day of joy and a day of sadness. For the James family, this has been a day long in coming,” said Fernandez Rundle.
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.
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The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Justice Project spent a year reviewing the case, going over documents, and re-interviewing witnesses.
A witness at the time told investigators that a man named “Thomas James” was involved, they believed it was Thomas Raynard James. After he was convicted and imprisoned, James learned of the different Thomas James may have been involved, according to the Miami Herald.
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.
“Today we are going to undo the conviction of an innocent man. Today we are undoing an injustice that was an unintentional wrong. We are going to ask the court, our court of law, to give Mr. James the freedom he deserves,” said Fernandez Rundle.
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Fernandez Rundle said their most likely suspect in McKinnon’s murder died without ever being held accountable.
