Henry Olson

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Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:
Year Crime:	1927
Year Convicted:	1927
Year Cleared:	1928
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Illinois
County or Region of Crime:	Winnebago
City of Crime:	Rockford
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Henry Olson was wrongly convicted in February 1928 of murder in the shooting death of Floyd Stotler at a gas statioon on September 6, 1927 in Rockford, Illinois. Olson's prosecution was based on an eyewitness identification, and Olson's alibi defense was that at the time of the crime he was at the home of friends. Olson's first trial in October 1927 ended in a mistrial when the jury couldn't agree on a verdict. Olson's retrial resulted in his conviction by a jury. He was sentenced to life in prison. Olson' who had been released on bond while awaiting his trials, was released on bond pending his appeal. Olson filed a motion for a new trial which was granted by the trial judge, The police arrested two boys based on information that they were involved in the crime, and during their police interrogation both admitted to committing the crime. They both entered pleas of guilty and were sentenced to prison terms of 35 years and 14 years in prison respectively. Olson was granted a third trial based on the new evidence that two other men had committed the crime. Olson was acquitted by a jury on March 16, 1928."
Conviction Caused By:	Mistaken eyewitness identification.
Innocence Proved By:	"Olson was acquitted by a jury on March 16, 1928."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?	Yes
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"“Miscarriages of Justice in Potentially Capital Cases,” Hugo Adam Bedau & Michael L. Radelet, Stanford Law Review, November, 1987, Vol. 40, p. 149+."
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Henry Olson

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

1927

Year Convicted:

1927

Year Cleared:

1928

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Illinois

County or Region of Crime:

Winnebago

City of Crime:

Rockford

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Mistaken eyewitness identification.

Innocence Proved By:

"Olson was acquitted by a jury on March 16, 1928."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"“Miscarriages of Justice in Potentially Capital Cases,” Hugo Adam Bedau & Michael L. Radelet, Stanford Law Review, November, 1987, Vol. 40, p. 149+."

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Book About Case:

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Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: