Chester Hollman III

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	27.85
Year Crime:	1991
Year Convicted:	1993
Year Cleared:	2019
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Pennsylvania
County or Region of Crime:	Philadelphia
City of Crime:	Philadelphia
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Chester Hollman III was wrongly convicted in 1993 of murder in Philadelphia on August 20, 1991. Hollman's prosecution was based on the shooting death of University of Pennsylvania student Tae-Jung Ho, and his identification as the shooter by an eye witness. Hollman was denied bail during a hearing on September 12, 1991 because he faced capital murder charges. After his conviction by a jury Hollman was sentenced to life in prison. Hollman filed a post-conviction petition based on the failure of the prosecution to disclose exculpatory evidence and the recantation of the eyewitness. In 2012 the eyewitness recanted during a hearing. The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office's Conviction Integrity Unit agreed in January 2018 to review Hollman's case. On June 24, 2019 the DA's Office filed a motion to set-aside Hollman's conviction and sentence based on the Integrity Unit's investion that police and prosecutors suppressed contradictory evidence concerning Ho's shooting. During a hearing on July 15, 2019 the Philadelphia DA's Office told the judge that Hollman was “likely innocent,” wrongfully convicted of the shooting of Tae-Jung Ho. The judge granted the motion and ordered Hollman to be freed immediately. Hollman's charges were formally dismissed during a hearing on July 30, 2019. During the hearing Assistant District Attorney Patricia Cummings, head of the Conviction Integrity Unit, told the judge, “We believe it was near-impossible Chester Hollman was the perpetrator of the crime.” Hollman filed a federal civil rights lawsuit that the City of Philadelphia agreed on Dec. 30, 2020 to settle for $9,800,000."
Conviction Caused By:	False testimony by the prosecution's key eyewitness and suppressed exculpatory evidence by the prosecution.
Innocence Proved By:	"Hollman's charges were formally dismissed during a hearing on July 30, 2019. During the hearing Assistant District Attorney Patricia Cummings, head of the Conviction Integrity Unit, told the judge, “We believe it was near-impossible Chester Hollman was the perpetrator of the crime.”"
Defendant Aided By:	Lawyer Alan Tauber.
Compensation Awarded:	"$9.8 million (City of Philadelphia, Dec. 30, 2020)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	21
Age When Released:	49
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Man freed from prison after wrongful conviction for murder of Penn student, By Gianna Ferrarin, The Daily Pennsylvanian, July 17, 2019"
Information Location 1:	https://www.thedp.com/article/2019/07/philadelphia-man-freed-prison-murder-penn
Information Source 2:	"Suspects accused of murder by friends, By Damon Chetson, The Daily Pennsylvanian, September 13, 1991"
Information Location 2:	https://www.thedp.com/article/1991/09/suspects_accused_of_murder_by_friends
Information Source 3:	"Pa. man jailed for 25 years to be freed; DA says he’s ’likely innocent’ in 1991 killing, PennLive.com, July 15, 2019"
Information Location 3:	https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/07/pa-man-jailed-for-25-years-to-be-freed-da-says-hes-likely-innocent-in-1991-killing.html
Information Source 4:	"Judge, DA apologize to man who was exonerated after 28 years in prison, By Correspondents, New Telegraph (Lagos, Nigeria), July 31, 2019"
Information Location 4:	https://www.newtelegraphng.com/2019/07/judge-da-apologize-to-man-who-was-exonerated-after-28-years-in-prison/
Information Source 5:	"Philly to pay $9.8M to man exonerated who spent 28 years in prison after wrongful conviction for murder, By Jeremy Roebuck, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec. 30, 2020"
Information Location 5:	https://www.inquirer.com/news/chester-hollman-settlement-philly-exoneration-lawsuit-netflix-undisclosed-20201230.html
Book About Case:
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Chester Hollman III

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

27.85

Year Crime:

1991

Year Convicted:

1993

Year Cleared:

2019

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Pennsylvania

County or Region of Crime:

Philadelphia

City of Crime:

Philadelphia

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

False testimony by the prosecution's key eyewitness and suppressed exculpatory evidence by the prosecution.

Innocence Proved By:

"Hollman's charges were formally dismissed during a hearing on July 30, 2019. During the hearing Assistant District Attorney Patricia Cummings, head of the Conviction Integrity Unit, told the judge, “We believe it was near-impossible Chester Hollman was the perpetrator of the crime.”"

Defendant Aided By:

Lawyer Alan Tauber.

Compensation Awarded:

"$9.8 million (City of Philadelphia, Dec. 30, 2020)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

21

Age When Released:

49

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Man freed from prison after wrongful conviction for murder of Penn student, By Gianna Ferrarin, The Daily Pennsylvanian, July 17, 2019"

Information Location 1:

https://www.thedp.com/article/2019/07/philadelphia-man-freed-prison-murder-penn

Information Source 2:

"Suspects accused of murder by friends, By Damon Chetson, The Daily Pennsylvanian, September 13, 1991"

Information Location 2:

https://www.thedp.com/article/1991/09/suspects_accused_of_murder_by_friends

Information Source 3:

"Pa. man jailed for 25 years to be freed; DA says he’s ’likely innocent’ in 1991 killing, PennLive.com, July 15, 2019"

Information Location 3:

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/07/pa-man-jailed-for-25-years-to-be-freed-da-says-hes-likely-innocent-in-1991-killing.html

Information Source 4:

"Judge, DA apologize to man who was exonerated after 28 years in prison, By Correspondents, New Telegraph (Lagos, Nigeria), July 31, 2019"

Information Location 4:

https://www.newtelegraphng.com/2019/07/judge-da-apologize-to-man-who-was-exonerated-after-28-years-in-prison/

Information Source 5:

"Philly to pay $9.8M to man exonerated who spent 28 years in prison after wrongful conviction for murder, By Jeremy Roebuck, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec. 30, 2020"

Information Location 5:

https://www.inquirer.com/news/chester-hollman-settlement-philly-exoneration-lawsuit-netflix-undisclosed-20201230.html

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: