From death row to 30 years jail life, these blacks were wrongfully incarcerated

Lawrence McKinney

Lawrence McKinney, 61, was awarded one million dollars in 2018 for wrongful rape conviction imposed in 1978. 

He was cleared of a rape charge from DNA evidence after serving 32 years in prison. He was released in 2009.

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But the Tennessee Parole Board refused to exonerate McKinney twice; that decision was backed by former Governor Phil Bredesen (D). 

It wasn’t until 2017, under the administration of the current Gov. Bill Haslam (R) that McKinney was finally found not guilty.

Haslam stated: “In the eyes of the judicial system, Mr. McKinney is innocent, While I appreciate the hard work and recommendations of the Board of Parole, in this case, I defer to the finding of the court charged with determining Mr. McKinney’s guilt or innocence.”