Davontae Sanford Receives $7.5 Million in Settlement with the City Of Detroit After Wrongful Conviction
Earlier this month, the City of Detroit reached a $7.5 million settlement with Davontae Sanford, who spent eight years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Sanford was accused of killing four people when he was just 14 years old. In 2008, at age 15, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to prison. Eight years later in 2016, Sanford was released after a Michigan State Police report reveled two other men were responsible for the murders.
After Sanford was released, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said a statement from then-Detroit Police Deputy Chief James Tolbert led to an investigation by the Michigan State Police which led to the charges being dropped. According to the transcripts, a sketch of the house where the four victims were shot and killed was drawn by Davontae Sanford. However, Tolbert later testified that he had drawn the sketch himself. In addition, Worthy noted that other evidence such as tracking dogs, gun residue, and Sanford’s confession, led to his conviction being overturned. Sanford sued after being released. He sought punitive and compensatory damages. Detroit help us welcome home this wrongfully convicted man.
Two Detroit police officers coerced Davontae Sanford, a 14-year-old boy, into confessing to murders he didn’t commit and fabricated evidence that helped convict him. Davontae spent 9 years in prison before he was exonerated. The officers remain on the job: https://t.co/R4MfWZvny3
— Sister Helen Prejean (@helenprejean) August 20, 2020
