US

REPORT: Surveillance Video Inmate Constantly Demanded To See Proves His Innocence After 16 Years In Jail

Empty prison cells in Alcatraz, San Francisco, California, USA

Photo by Peter Ginter/Via Getty Images

Jeff Charles Contributor
Font Size:

Arvel Marshall was reportedly released from prison Friday after serving 16 years in prison after being falsely convicted of fatally shooting a man in Brooklyn in 2008.

The 52-year-old Brooklyn native was exonerated when a previously overlooked surveillance video was released, proving his innocence, according to CBS News.

Brooklyn District Attorney (DA) Eric Gonzalez reportedly announced the decision to vacate Marshall’s conviction, labeling the case as a tragic example of the justice system failing. The newly discovered footage, which had been withheld during the original trial, clearly showed that Marshall was not the perpetrator of the crime, the outlet reported.

“The system has failed our society again, and this case is one of systemic failures,” Gonzalez reportedly stated. (RELATED: ‘I Cannot Wait To Hug My Mother’: Wrongfully Convicted Man Free After Serving 34 Years Of 400-Year Sentence)

Marshall expressed overwhelming relief upon his release. “Feeling good. Happy to be free,” he told CBS News. “Happy to see that it’s real. It’s not a dream no more.”

The former inmate had asked repeatedly to see the missing surveillance footage, but was denied each time, the outlet reported.

“That evidence was said to be unplayable. They didn’t have the technology or ability to play it,” Gonzalez said, according to CBS News.

Justin Bonus, Marshall’s attorney, reportedly criticized the original trial, pointing out that Marshall had an alibi and should never have been subjected to prosecution. “The video proves that my client shouldn’t have even been placed in an identification procedure,” Bonus explained, the outlet reported.

The Brooklyn DA’s Conviction Review Unit, responsible for reinvestigating the case, has reportedly vacated 39 convictions since 2014 and is currently handling nearly 60 more cases. The actual perpetrator remains at large, Bonus said, according to the outlet.