Obie Anthony spent most of his adult life behind bars, but after last night he is free!
Anthony was convicted of fatally shooting a man outside a South Los Angeles brothel in a 1995 trial and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
But last Friday, the murder conviction was overturned because the prosecution’s witness, a pimp, lied to the jury!
Obie Anthony, 37, collapsed into the arms of family members, who screamed and cried as he walked out of a downtown Los Angeles jail. Anthony, who spent his incarceration reading self-help books, said he always believed he would be released and struggled to express his emotions about his newfound freedom.
“It’s really overwhelming at this point,” said Anthony. “It’s going to take a couple of days before everything really sets all the way in.”
Obie maintained his innocence all these years and said he was not even at the scene of the crime. He is now free and was greeted last night by happy family and friends, including his fiance Denise Merchant.
They became engaged 1 1/2 years ago during a jailhouse visit. Obie Anthony is excited to start his new life, and although we are happy for him, we have to ask how our justice system can continue to keep innocence people incarcerated?
What do you think of Obie’s story?
SOURCE: Kennebec Journal
