He had to serve 400 years! But the evidence proves his innocence

He had to serve 400 years! But the evidence proves his innocence

Sidney Holmes was released from prison after spending over 34 years behind bars after the state of Florida conducted a thorough re-investigation into his 1988 armed robbery case

and discovered no evidence linking him to the crime other than a faulty identification and the car used in the robbery.

According to Broward County State Attorney Harold F. Pryor, the reinvestigation raised reasonable doubts about Holmes’ guilt, resulting in his exoneration and release on Monday.

Holmes, now 57, was arrested in October 1988 for allegedly driving two unidentified individuals who robbed a man and a woman outside a store at gunpoint.

In April 1989, a jury found him guilty and sentenced him to 400 years in prison, with prosecutors requesting 825 years to ensure that he was not released while still alive.

Prosecutor Peter Magrino stated at the time that he did not seek a life sentence because Holmes was eligible for parole after 25 years.

Holmes, on the other hand, had been sentenced as a habitual offender because he had previously been convicted of armed robbery in August 1984 for two separate incidents in which he pleaded guilty and quickly confessed.

Despite this, in the 1988 case, Holmes never claimed to know who the robbers were, in contrast to his previous robbery conviction, in which he made allegations against the other suspects.

Holmes contacted the State Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit (CRU) in 2020, claiming that he was «truly innocent» of the armed robbery of two people outside a convenience store. The CRU reopened the case and discovered no evidence of Holmes’ involvement in the crime, allowing him to be released.

According to Pryor, the Broward State Attorney’s Office has one rule: always do the right thing. Their primary goal as prosecutors is to promote public safety and ensure that justice is served. He praised the victims, witnesses, and law enforcement personnel for their assistance in re-investigating a crime that occurred more than 34 years ago.

Despite decades of wrongful imprisonment, Holmes maintains a positive and faithful attitude.