51-Year-Old Man Wrongly Jailed for 22 Years Becomes Billionaire after Being Awarded N9bn

• In 1994, a man named Eddie Bolden, now aged 51, was convicted for the killing of two people in Chicago, US
• However, it was later established that he was wrongfully imprisoned after he served 22 years in jail
• Bolden was freed in 2016 and sued Chicago, and a jury ordered the city to pay him compensation totalling N9,923,291,764

A man who spent 22 years in jail for a crime he did not commit finally has a reason to smile.

US national, Eddie Bolden, wrongfully convicted in 1994 for a double murder, received a massive pay-out from a jury, CBS News reports.

The jury awarded him more than N9,923,291,764 in damages after he sued the city of Chicago and two police detectives, the Chicago Sun Time reports.

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Bolden was set free in 2016, two years after a court established that his trial attorney was ineffective.

He received a certificate of innocence that allowed him to get paid for his time behind bars.

Jury’s ruling

In a landmark ruling, the jury ordered the city of Chicago to pay Bolden N9,923,291,764 in compensation, and the two detectives were ordered to pay him N4,042,822.

In his lawsuit, Bolden claimed he was framed for killing 23-year-old Irving Clayton and 24-year-old Derrick Frazier.

Bolden's lawyer argued that police had no evidence his client was involved in a drug deal that resulted in the killings.

He further accused them of racially profiling him.

“I think the jury recognized that he was victimized by a system that unfortunately has victimized people for too long, and they want it to stop,” the lawyer said.

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City to appeal the ruling

Following the jury's decision, a spokesperson said the city is reviewing the verdict and assessing their legal options.

Speaking after the jury's decision, an emotional Bolden said:

“Finally. It’s all I can say right now.”

Man wrongly imprisoned for 16 years dies of COVID-19after release

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a man wrongly jailed for 16 years had died of COVID-19 after release from prison.

Damon Thibodeaux was wrongfully imprisoned for 16 years in 1997 before a team of lawyers proved his innocence.

Nine years upon his release from prison, he passed away after contracting the virus. Speaking to the press, the retired lawyer who helped Damon regain his freedom expressed disbelief at his passing.

Source: Legit.ng