Randolph Arledge, Wrongly Convicted Man, Freed From Texas Prison After Almost 30 Years

A Texas man was freed from prison today after spending close to 30 years wrongly behind bars. A jury convicted Randolph Arledge of a woman’s murder in 1984, but newly tested DNA pointed to a different killer. A witness who testified against him in trial now admits he made the story up.

Alredge’s children were there to greet their father in an emotional reunion. His daughter

Randa Machelle Alredge, who was four years old when he went to jail, told the media today, “Every time he came up for parole it was broken, shattered hopes.”

Under Texas law, the state will pay him more than $2 million dollars and other benefits. Texas has had 117 wrongful convictions since 1977 and has paid out nearly $60 million dollars.