Judge overturns 1985 Springfield murder conviction
SPRINGFIELD ― Edward Wright has been in prison for over 40 years for a murder he did not commit.
Edward Wright, seen here at trial in 1995, was wrongly convicted of a murder he did not commit, says The Innocence Project New England based on fresh DNA evidence. His case was overturned on April 11. (The Republican, File)The Republican
On Friday, a Hampden Superior Court Judge overturned his 1985 murder conviction.
Judge Jeremy Bucci found that the prosecution hid important evidence and lied about it during Wright's 1985 trial, according to a statement from the New England Innocence Project on Wednesday.
"The prosecution knowingly and intentionally withheld significant exculpatory evidence of a break-in to the crime scene and that a detective gave false testimony at trial concerning evidence central to the prosecution's case," Judge Bucci said in his decision.
New DNA tests in the Springfield case also showed Wright was not connected to key evidence from the crime scene.
"There is bitterness for all the years I've lost in prison , but also sweetness in the possibility of freedom," Wright said in a statement.
Edward Wright, who has spent 39 years in prison for a Springfield murder he didn't commit, had his case was overturned on April 11. (Provided photo)
The New England Innocence Project and volunteer lawyers have been working on Edward Wright's case for over 10 years.
A press conference will be held on Thursday to talk about the next steps to bring Wright home to his family.
"For more than 40 years, the commonwealth thwarted Mr. Wright's efforts to prove his innocence by withholding critical evidence, even going so far as to tell the Supreme Judicial Court that there was no evidence of a break-in when it was in the police file the entire time," Stephanie Hartung, of the New England Innocence Project, said.
"Eddie is an inspiration. For 40 years, he has endured unimaginable injustice. He has responded with positivity and humanity. Through it all, he lifted others, stood firm in his truth and never gave up the fight. That fight is not yet over, but today we celebrate a victory — hard-fought and long-overdue," said Isaac Saidel-Goley, Wright's attorney.
