Lorenzo Johnson was 22 years old when he was falsely convicted for the 1995 shooting death of Tarajay Williams in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Johnson, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole in March 1997, maintained his innocence, claiming to have been in New York at the time of the tragic occurrence.
He was convicted, despite the fact that multiple witnesses confirmed his alibi. Johnson was eventually released after serving 22 years in prison.
According to the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, the fatal December 1995 shooting occurred in an alley near 14th and Market streets in Harrisburg. Johnson was captured and accused with Williams’ murder many months later, with officials claiming he was an accomplice.
Authorities also alleged that Johnson’s friend, Corey Walker, was the shooter. In March 1997, he received a similar sentence of life in jail without parole. The Pennsylvania Innocence Project criticized the prosecution for relying heavily on evidence from Carla Brown during Johnson’s trial, highlighting numerous disparities.
Brown testified throughout the trial that she observed Johnson looking out for Walker while he opened fire on Williams. Brown claimed Williams and two buddies had an argument at a bar before the victim was gunned down. However, the bartender and bouncer did not recollect seeing Johnson.
Brown was the only witness who accused Johnson of being engaged in the deadly shot. She also testified to being under the influence of drink or drugs on the night the victim was slain.
Additionally, Brown was identified as a suspect in the incident. According to the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, she “did not come forward implicating Lorenzo [Johnson] right after the incident; instead, Detective Kevin Duffin solicited a statement from her four months after the fact.]”
During the trial, Brown’s testimony and that of other prosecution witnesses were deemed to be conflicting. Johnson maintained his innocence and turned down a plea agreement that would have resulted in a 5-year prison sentence.
Johnson confirmed his presence in New York on the night of the victim’s shooting. Even though multiple witnesses confirmed his alibi, only one of them, Suquan Ripply, took the stand. Ripply alleged Detective Duffin threatened to charge him with perjury if he acknowledged Johnson was in New York during the trial. However, unlike the other witnesses, Ripply continued to testify.
Johnson’s ex-girlfriend declined to testify due of fear. She claimed Detective Duffin had also threatened her with a perjury charge and told her she would lose custody of her children if she took the stand.
“In addition to this intimidation, the prosecution in Lorenzo’s case was responsible for several Brady violations, meaning some evidence was not disclosed to the defense at the time of trial,” according to the Pennsylvania Innocence Project. “Some of this undisclosed evidence included contradictory pre-trial statements from witnesses, plea agreements offered to witnesses, and the fact that a witness was a god sibling of Detective Duffin.”
On October 5, 2011, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals vacated Johnson’s conviction for a lack of evidence. “After several failed appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court by the prosecuting deputy attorney general, Lorenzo was released on Jan. 18, 2012, after 16 and a half years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit,” according to the Indiana Innocence Project.
However, Johnson’s journey did not finish there. In May 2012, Johnson’s attorney, Michael Wiseman, called to inform him that his conviction had been reinstated by the US Supreme Court “without briefings or arguments, all in one day.”
Johnson returned to New York on June 14, 2012, and reported himself in. “The Pennsylvania Innocence Project assisted Lorenzo [Johnson] and his attorney in fighting to get him out of prison for a second time,” the organization’s website claimed. “It is during this period of investigation when Lorenzo’s legal team uncovered the previously mentioned Brady violations and undisclosed evidence.”
In July 2017, Lorenzo reached an agreement with the state attorney general to have his original first-degree murder conviction and life sentence annulled. “In exchange, Lorenzo pleaded no contest to lesser charges of third-degree murder and conspiracy,” the organization stated.
“No contest is not an admission of guilt; it simply means that the defendant is not contesting the charges filed against them.” Lorenzo maintains his innocence, but he accepted the agreement to see his family, he said.