A man who spent more than two decades in prison after he was convicted of killing his girlfriend, was able to walk the streets as a free man Wednesday.
Evin King, 59, maintained his innocence, while imprisoned for murdering his girlfriend, Crystal Hudson. King was 36, when he was convicted.
“I’m going to fight this. I ain't taking no deals,” he said, “I didn't do it. I don't know nothing about it. I'm going to stay strong, and I’m going to fight this."
In 1994, Crystal Hudson was found strangled in her closet. Investigators found two types of DNA there. One of them did not match King, and the old DNA technology at the time could not test the other DNA evidence found.
"I lose my cool with them, because they want me to say I did something that I didn't do,” King said.
Previously, prosecutors argued Hudson was with another man, before her death, and then King killed her.
Now 23 years later, the new Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley said advances in DNA testing found both DNA types (her body and underneath her fingernails) pointed to another person.
O'Malley said the old way the DNA evidence was interpreted, is no longer valid with the updated DNA technology in place now.
"We are here today, your honor, based on our discussions with the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office,” he told the judge, “to move to vacate the conviction of Mr. Evin King."
With his conviction vacated, he said he hopes to make up for lost times and spend time with his family.
"Get over there and do what we do, party!" he said playfully.
King said he was staying strong. He doesn’t want the difficult ordeal to break his spirit.
