Ryan Matthews

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Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Death
Years Imprisoned:	7
Year Crime:	1997
Year Convicted:	1999
Year Cleared:	2004
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Louisiana
County or Region of Crime:	Jefferson
City of Crime:	Bridge City
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Ryan Matthews was co-defendant of Travis Hayes. Both were wrongly convicted in 1999 of the 1997 murder of a grocer. A mask thrown from the getaway car that was worn by the robber was tested for DNA in the spring of 2003, and Matthews was excluded. The test was funded by the owner of a British internet travel agency who learned of Matthews' case through her involvement with an anti-death penalty group. On August 9, 2004 Ryan Matthews was released from prison after more than seven years of wrongfully being jailed since April 1997, and awaiting trial for two years. Hayes was released from prison 2-1/2 years later. Matthews was awarded compensation of $263,000 by the State of Louisiana."
Conviction Caused By:	"Erroneous eyewitness identification, prosecution concealed exonerating evidence and co-defendant Travis Hayes' false confession."
Innocence Proved By:	"DNA test excluded Matthews and identified another man as the probable killer. Based on the new evidence a new trial ordered on April 15, 2004, and on June 18, 2004 Matthews was released on bail. On August 9, 2004 the prosecution dropped the charges and Matthews was released from custody."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:	"$263,000 (State of Louisiana)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	17
Age When Released:	24
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Travis Hayes, Innocence Project New Orleans, December 20, 2006"
Information Location 1:	http://www.ip-no.org/exonoree-profile/travis-hayes
Information Source 2:	"Gretna Man Exonerated in Murder, Gwen Filosa (staff), Times-Picayune (New Orleans), 08-10-2004"
Information Location 2:
Information Source 3:	"Death Row man is saved at lastminute.com," Tracy McVeigh, London Observer, May 4, 2003, A10"
Information Location 3:
Information Source 4:	"Attorney: DNA Tests Show Death Row Inmate Innocent, Another Inmate Guilty in Murder, Alan Sayre (AP), April 22, 2003"
Information Location 4:	http://indybay.org/news/2003/04/1602788.php
Information Source 5:	"DNA Evidence Frees Man on Death Row, Gretna, LA, Seattle Times, Aug 10, 2004."
Information Location 5:
Book About Case:	Ryan Matthews Page - The International Justice Project
Book Information:	http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:VDkRzxPQQQsJ:www.internationaljusticeproject.org/juvRMatthews.cfm+%22times-picayune%22+%22ryan+matthews%22&hl=en
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Ryan Matthews

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Death

Years Imprisoned:

7

Year Crime:

1997

Year Convicted:

1999

Year Cleared:

2004

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Louisiana

County or Region of Crime:

Jefferson

City of Crime:

Bridge City

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"Erroneous eyewitness identification, prosecution concealed exonerating evidence and co-defendant Travis Hayes' false confession."

Innocence Proved By:

"DNA test excluded Matthews and identified another man as the probable killer. Based on the new evidence a new trial ordered on April 15, 2004, and on June 18, 2004 Matthews was released on bail. On August 9, 2004 the prosecution dropped the charges and Matthews was released from custody."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

"$263,000 (State of Louisiana)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

17

Age When Released:

24

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Travis Hayes, Innocence Project New Orleans, December 20, 2006"

Information Location 1:

http://www.ip-no.org/exonoree-profile/travis-hayes

Information Source 2:

"Gretna Man Exonerated in Murder, Gwen Filosa (staff), Times-Picayune (New Orleans), 08-10-2004"

Information Location 2:

Information Source 3:

"Death Row man is saved at lastminute.com," Tracy McVeigh, London Observer, May 4, 2003, A10"

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

"Attorney: DNA Tests Show Death Row Inmate Innocent, Another Inmate Guilty in Murder, Alan Sayre (AP), April 22, 2003"

Information Location 4:

http://indybay.org/news/2003/04/1602788.php

Information Source 5:

"DNA Evidence Frees Man on Death Row, Gretna, LA, Seattle Times, Aug 10, 2004."

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Ryan Matthews Page - The International Justice Project

Book Information:

http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:VDkRzxPQQQsJ:www.internationaljusticeproject.org/juvRMatthews.cfm+%22times-picayune%22+%22ryan+matthews%22&hl=en

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