ST. LOUIS – A decision on the fate of Lamar Johnson will be announced on Tuesday by the St. Louis Circuit Court. Johnson has served nearly 30 years in prison after being convicted of a murder that he says he did not commit.
A judge will make a decision nearly two months after Johnson testified in the courtroom. Johnson was convicted of Marcus Boyd’s murder in 1995 and was sentenced to prison but has maintained his innocence for nearly 30 years.
In December, FOX 2 learned during a hearing that the only person to identify Johnson as the murderer had recanted his testimony. Since Johnson’s conviction, two other men have come forward admitting to Boyd’s murder.
Back in December 2022, the lead detective in the case testified that there was no physical evidence connecting Johnson to the murder. It has been a long process for Johnson’s case to get in front of a circuit judge, and there are a lot of people standing behind Johnson, including St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner.
“For four years, the Circuit Attorney’s Office has fought tirelessly to present clear and convincing evidence of Lamar Johnson’s wrongful conviction,” Gardner said back in December. “After this week’s hearing, it is clear why this case is so disturbing. We proved our case with clear and convincing evidence of Mr. Johnson’s innocence.”
At the time, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt argued that Johnson was wrongfully convicted and should remain in prison. He also accused Gardner of concealing evidence.