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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
First Degree Murder |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole |
Years Imprisoned: |
39 |
Year Crime: |
1978 |
Year Convicted: |
1980 |
Year Cleared: |
2017 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
California |
County or Region of Crime: |
Ventura |
City of Crime: |
Simi Valley |
Result: |
Pardoned and released |
Summary of Case: |
"Craig Richard Coley was wrongly convicted on January 3, 1980 of two counts of first-degree murder in the death of 24-year-old Rhonda Wicht, who he had been dating for two years, and her 4-year-old son Donald, in Simi Valley, California in November 1978. It was Coley's second trial. His first trial had ended in a hung jury after four weeks of jury deliberations, with a 10 to 2 vote for his guilt, The prosecution's case against Craig Coley was based on circumstantial evidence. There was no physical, eyewitness or confession evidence linking Coley to the crime. The case against him was so weak that during his trial that the Simi Valley Mirror -- the local newspaper -- ran a front-page story titled: "Coley Truly Appears to Be Wrong Man." The Mirror's publisher, James A. Whitehead, published an editorial that attacked the Simi Valley police for its investigation of the case, and stated: "The Mirror is firmly convinced that Glen Watkins should be arrested as he is definitely a suspect of committing murder in the first-degree ..." After his conviction by a jury Coley was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Coley’s case was reopened in October 2016 by Simi Valley Police Chief David Livingstone after a retired detective expressed doubts about Coley's guilty. Investigators later found a key piece of prosecution evidence did not match his DNA, but it contained the DNA of unidentified persons. On November 22, 2017 California Governor Jerry Brown pardoned Craig Coley on the basis the Simi County Police Department and the Ventura County District Attorney's Office had determined that he did not commit the crime and had been wrongly convicted. Gov. Brown ordered Coley's immediate release from prison, and he was released later that day. On Nov. 22 Ventura County District Attorney Gregory D. Totten and Police Chief Livingstone released a joint statement that the murder case was reopened to pursue finding the real killer or killers of Rhonda and Donald. Coley filed a wrongful imprisonment claim with the California Victim Compensation Board. On February 15, 2018 the VCB voted unanimously to awarded Coley compensation of $140 days for 13,991 days (38.33 yrs) of incarceration: a total of $1,958,740. It was the largest amount awarded by the VCB in a wrongful imprisonment case. Coley filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Simi Valley and police officers involved in his case. On February 23, 2018 it was announced that Coley's lawsuit was settled for $21 million." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"On November 22, 2017 California Governor Jerry Brown pardoned Craig Coley on the basis the Simi County Police Department and the Ventura County District Attorney's Office had determined that he did not commit the crime and had been wrongly convicted. Gov. Brown ordered Coley's immediate release from prison." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
"$22,958,740 total. $1,958,740 (State of California, 2-15-2018). $21,000,000 (City of Simi Valley, 2-23-2019)" |
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
31 |
Age When Released: |
70 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"He spent 39 years behind bars for two murders he didn't commit. Gov. Jerry Brown just pardoned him, By Alene Tchekmedyian (Reporter), Los Angeles Times, November 23, 2017" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-jerry-brown-pardon-20171122-htmlstory.html |
Information Source 2: |
"Record payout approved for Simi Valley man wrongfully convicted of grisly 1978 murders, By Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, Feb 15, 2018" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-craig-coley-wrongful-conviction-20180215-story.html |
Information Source 3: |
"California man, 70, gets $21 million settlement for spending 40 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend and her four-year-old son, By Emily Crane, Daily Mail (London), February 23, 2019" |
Information Location 3: |
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6739801/California-man-gets-21-million-payout-wrongful-murder-conviction.html |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org