Larry McKee is finally a free man after new evidence revealed what he always knew: his innocence.
In 1997, McKee was sentenced to 24 years to life in prison for the fatal shooting of Theodore Vance. McKee was 27 years old at the time of his conviction.
However, McKee’s attorney Michael Talassazan reached out to the Bronx District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit after coming across new evidence. During a review, a grand jury testimony by a witness revealed he heard Vance’s last words.
According to the witness, Vance said the man who shot him was Hispanic. McKee is African-American. The testimony was never turned over to the defense, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said in a statement.
“Our Conviction Integrity Unit has corrected a wrong from the past. We will never stop in our quest to ensure fairness and integrity in the criminal justice system,” Clark said.
McKee who is 47-year-old now had his sentence vacated and was released from prison Monday.