Ricky Jackson, an Ohio man who spent nearly four decades on death row for a crime he did not commit, has been declared innocent after his conviction was overturned in 2014, marking one of the longest wrongful imprisonment cases in United States history.
Jackson was only 18 years old in 1975 when he was arrested and sentenced to death for the murder of a Cleveland money-order salesman. His conviction was based largely on the testimony of a 12-year-old witness, who later admitted that he had been pressured by police to provide false evidence.
Throughout his 39 years behind bars, Jackson maintained his innocence, despite having no physical evidence, DNA evidence, or weapon linking him to the crime. He spent more than 14,000 days in prison while watching life pass by outside his cell.
During his incarceration, Jackson missed decades of personal milestones and major changes in society, including the rise of modern technology and the everyday freedoms most people take for granted. He also lost loved ones, including his mother, while he remained imprisoned.
In 2014, the former child witness came forward and revealed that his testimony had been false and influenced by law enforcement when he was a young boy. Following the revelation, a judge overturned Jackson’s conviction and officially cleared his name.
