A Massachusetts man who spent over two decades in prison for what a court is calling a wrongful murder and armed robbery conviction has been released from prison.
WCVB-TV and The Boston Globe report that James Lucien, 48, was serving a life sentence in connection to the 1994 fatal shooting of Ryan Edwards, 23.
“I feel good because I’m with my family now,” Lucien said Tuesday after Judge Robert Ullmann cleared the convictions against him in Suffolk County Superior Court. “I’ve been waiting a whole 27 years for this, and now I have the opportunity to be free.”
Lucien’s defense attorney Dennis Toomey argued during a hearing that the murder and robbery convictions against his client should be tossed because of an improper police investigation.
“The heart of our appellate argument here is that the jury simply did not hear evidence they could have used to acquit Mr. Lucien, so he didn’t get due process,” Toomey said.
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“Almost everywhere we look in this case, there are serious problems,” Special Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Jeanne Kempthorne said during the hearing.
According to the news station, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said a former Boston police officer involved in Lucien’s case, Det. John Brazil, participated in a sprawling corruption scheme from 1990 to 1996 with other officers, in which they conspired to lie, rob and steal from drug dealers by submitting false warrant applications and then seize cash, representing drug trade proceeds, and kept it for themselves.
Brazil cooperated in a federal investigation and testified against Boston police detectives Kenneth Acerra and Walter Robinson, both of whom pled guilty, according to the DA’s office. Brazil was given immunity in exchange for his testimony and served no time. He is currently collecting a pension.
Edwards’s family members opposed Lucien’s release.
“I think it’s horrible,” said Dionne Richards, Edwards’ sister. “Now he’s free and there’s nobody to help our family, and my brother’s murder goes as another unsolved murder.”
Ullmann urged Edwards’ family not to blame Lucien, but instead Brazil, who allegedly lied and tampered with evidence.
“It’s clear to me that justice may not have been done as to the murder and armed robbery charges,” the judge said.