A Black man, who was exonerated after spending eight years in prison for the killings of four people, recently gave back to his Detroit community by giving away $25,000 worth of free gas to women and elderly men.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Davontae Sanford, in March, reached a $7.5 million settlement with the Detroit City Council after he filed a complaint alleging his rights had been violated by the police.
“The city had my back, so it’s only right I give back to the city and I give back to the most vulnerable,” Sanford told WJBK-TV about the gas giveaway.
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Sanford was 15 years old when he was convicted of the shooting deaths of four people in 2007. His prison sentence came after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. But Sanford later claimed he did not commit the crime, adding that he accepted a plea deal because his position was untenable. Sanford also said the lawyer who represented him wasn’t good enough.
A hit man identified as Vincent Smothers later admitted to the killings. Sanford’s convictions were ultimately dismissed in 2016 after Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy filed a request. But Worthy mentioned police misconduct as the reason behind the request for Sanford’s convictions to be dropped – not Smothers admitting to the killings.
Authorities have not brought charges against Smothers in connection with the four killings. He is, however, serving time for eight other murders.
