EARLIER THIS WEEK A ST. LOUIS JUDGE OVERTURNED THE MURDER CONVICTION OF LAMAR JOHNSON, A MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON IN 1995 FOR THE MURDER OF MARCUS BOYD.

JOHN YANG HAS MORE AS PART OF OUR SEARCHING FOR JUSTICE SERIES.

JOHN?

JOHN: IN 2021, PRODUCER FRANK CARLSON AND I LOOKED INTO JOHNSON'S CASE.

WE INTERVIEWED HIM IN PRISON, SPOKE WITH LINDSAY RUNNELS.

ONE OF HIS LAWYERS, AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME IN QUESTION, AND WITH ST. LOUIS CIRCUIT ATTORNEY KIM GARDNER, WHO RE-EXAMINED JOHNSON'S CASE AND BECAME CONVINCED OF HIS INNOCENCE.

GARDNER'S INVESTIGATION TURNED UP EVEN MORE PROOF OF JOHNSON'S INNOCENCE.

THE PROSECUTION'S EYEWITNESS RECANTED, ADMITTING HE'D ONLY IDENTIFIED JOHNSON BECAUSE POLICE TOLD HIM JOHNSON WAS GUILTY.

AND HER TEAM FOUND RECORDS SHOWING PROSECUTORS PAID THAT WITNESS MORE THAN $4,000 FOR HOUSING AND EXPENSES, INFORMATION THAT WAS NEVER DISCLOSED TO THE DEFENSE.

SO, YOU HAVE NO EVIDENCE THAT HE COMMITTED THE CRIME.

YOU HAVE THE CONFESSION OF TWO OTHER PEOPLE THAT THEY COMMITTED THE CRIME AND THAT HE DID NOT.

YOU HAVE RAISED PRETTY GOOD QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE TRIAL WAS FAIR.

PEOPLE WILL ASK, THEN WHY IS HE IN PRISON?

KIMBERLY: THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I MEAN, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

JOHN: ON TUESDAY, AFTER NEARLY 28 YEARS BEHIND BARS, JOHNSON LEFT THE COURTROOM AS A FREE MAN .

FRIENDS, FAMILY AND SUPPORTERS CHEERED HIM.

NOW HERE ARE LAMAR JOHNSON AND ATTORNEY LINDSAY RUNNELS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

IT IS GREAT TO SEE YOU WHERE YOU ARE RATHER THAN THE VISITOR'S ROOM AT THE STATE PENITENTIARY WHERE WE LAST MET.

IT MUST HAVE BEEN A POWERFUL MOMENT WHEN THE JUDGE SAID YOU ARE ACTUALLY INNOCENT, WHICH IS THE LEGAL TERM, AND THEN YOU WALKED OUT OF THE COURTROOM A FREE MAN.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE GUARDS OR ANYONE ACCOMPANY NEW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 29 YEARS.

LAMAR: 28.

YEAH, IT WAS A FREEING FEELING, ALMOST INDESCRIBABLE AND GOING INTO THE CROWD WAS VERY OVERWHELMING.

BUT IT HAPPENED.

IT HAPPENED.

JOHN: IT ALSO MUST HAVE BEEN POWERFUL BECAUSE YOU TOLD US ALL ALONG THAT YOU JUST WANTED TO GET BEYOND THE PROCEDURAL MATTERS THAT WERE KEEPING YOU IN PRISON AND HAVE A HEARING.

AND YOU HAD THAT HEARING IN DECEMBER.

AND YOU SAT THERE IN THE COURTROOM.

YOU HEARD THE PROSECUTOR AND THE POLICE OFFICER IN CHARGE OF YOUR INVESTIGATION SAYING UNDER OATH THEY HAD NO EVIDENCE LINKING YOU TO THE CRIME.

WHAT WAS THAT?

WAS THAT A FEELING OF SATISFACTION?

HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU HEARD THAT?

LAMAR: WELL, I KNEW IT WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO MOTIVE, NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE TO CONNECT ME TO IT.

AND EVEN WITH THE EYEWITNESS, HE NEVER VERIFIED ANY IDENTIFICATION OF ME UNTIL HE WAS AT THE POLICE STATION AFTER HE IDENTIFIED SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE LINEUP.

EVERYTHING THAT CAME AFTER THAT WAS AFTER I WAS ARRESTED SO THERE WAS NEVER ANY EVIDENCE TO EVEN BRING ME IN FOR THAT.

JOHN: LINDSAY, YOU'VE BEEN ON THE CASE A LONG TIME.

WHAT WAS DIFFERENT THIS TIME?

LINDSAY: WHAT WAS DIFFERENT WAS LAMAR JOHNSON.

THROUGH THAT PROTECTED -- PROTRACTED TRYING FOR A NEW TRIAL, DOES MISSOURI HAVE THE LEGAL AUTHORITY, THEY SAID NO, BUT PROVIDED ON THE LEGISLATOR TO PROVIDE A LAW, AND THEY DID THAT, PROVIDING PROSECUTORS THE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO CORRECT WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS WHICH UP UNTIL THAT POINT DID NOT EXIST.

KIM GARDNER IN 2022, AND BECAUSE OF THAT STATUTE.

JOHN: LAMAR, YOU SPENT NEARLY THREE DECADES IN PRISON, YOUR 20'S, 30'S AND MOST OF YOUR 40'S.

YOU TOLD US WHEN WE MET LAST TIME AS LONG AS THERE IS LIFE, THERE IS HOPE.

YOU HAD SOME KNEE SETBACKS, SO MANY TIMES THE COURTS SAID NO.

HOW DID YOU KEEP HOPE ALIVE DURING THAT TIME?

LAMAR: IT WAS ALL I HAD.

I CANNOT IMAGINE GIVING UP ON SOMETHING I KNEW WAS RIGHTFULLY TAKEN FROM YOU.

I COULD NOT IMAGINE GIVING UP.

JOHN: NOT ONLY DID YOU KEEP UP, YOU DO NOT SEEM ANGRY AND YOU DID NOT SEEM ANGRY AT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU.

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT?

LAMAR: HOLDING ONTO ANGER, YOU WOULD BE TRADING IN PRISON FOR ANOTHER.

THERE IS NOTHING IN THAT TO GAIN.

EVEN THOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN SETBACKS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS, IN THE END THERE'S A LOT TO BE JOYFUL ABOUT AND I HANG ONTO THAT.

JOHN: HOW HAVE YOU BEEN SPENDING YOUR TIME SINCE TUESDAY?

LAMAR: EATING AND HAVING MY FRIEND RUN ME AROUND, THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING.

[LAUGHTER] ENJOYING ALL OF THE FOOD I DID NOT GET INSIDE.

I'VE BEEN ABLE TO MEET WITH SOME FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND JUST TRY TO GET USED TO HOW MUCH THE WORLD HAS CHANGED.

THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE CHOICES GOING INSIDE THE GROCERY STORE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE AMAZING AND PROBABLY THINGS A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE DON'T GIVE MUCH THOUGHT TO.

JOHN: IS SOMEONE HELPING YOU WITH THE TRANSITION?

LAMAR: YEAH, A FRIEND OF MINE.

HE IS AN EXONERATE HIMSELF, HIS NAME IS RICKY KIDD AND HE WAS EXONERATED ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO AND HE IS VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE HE'S EXPERIENCED OF THIS.

JOHN: LINDSAY, HOW MANY LAMAR JOHNSONS ARE IN PRISON WAITING FOR AN ATTORNEY LIKE YOU TO COME ALONG?

LINDSAY: TOO MANY, CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES ARE 2% TO 5%.

IT IS A BREATHTAKING NUMBER.

JOHN: AS I TALKED ABOUT HOW MANY YEARS WERE TAKEN AWAY FROM LAMAR UNDER MISSOURI LAW, HE GETS GETS , NOTHING, GETS NO RESTITUTION OR COMPENSATION.

DOES THE STATE OWE HIM SOMETHING?

LINDSAY: I BELIEVE THE STATE OWES HIM MORE THAN THEY COULD EVER REPAY HIM.

HE'S LOST MORE, YOU KNOW, THE TIME THAT HE CAN NEVER GET BACK.

BUT MISSOURI DOES HAVE A COMPENSATION PACKAGE.

BUT IT IS SO NARROW THAT VERY, VERY FEW PEOPLE QUALIFY FOR IT.

JOHN: CAN YOU TRY TO GET COMPENSATION?

LINDSAY: THERE'S PENDING LEGISLATION IN THE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW THAT WOULD EXPAND THE ELIGIBILITY UNDER MISSOURI'S COMPENSATION PACKAGE TO INCLUDE FOLKS LIKE LAMAR THOMPSON, LARRY AND RICKY KIDD AND SO MANY OTHERS.

IT HAS STALLED IN LEGISLATIONS PRIOR.

I AM HOPEFUL THAT THIS CASE WILL HELP HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR THAT.

BUT IT'S UP TO THE LEGISLATURE TO DO THE RIGHT THING HERE.

HE HAS A GOFUNDME.

THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND EUROPE, EVEN, WE'RE GETTING DONATIONS.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE DONATING SMALL AMOUNTS TO HIM THAT ARE ADDING UP TO, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH MONEY FOR HIM TO START A LIFE.

BUT ULTIMATELY, HE HE IS DEPENDING ON THE GENEROSITY OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT NOW.

JOHN: LAMAR, I KNOW YOU SAW YOUR MOTHER, MAYE, AND YOUR DAUGHTER KIARA.

THEY CAME TO VISIT YOU IN PRISON.

BUT WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO SEE THEM WITHOUT THE GUARDS STANDING THERE, NOT IN THAT VISITING ROOM?

LAMAR: YEAH.

YOU KNOW, INSIDE OF IN PRISON, YOU ARE ONLY ALLOWED 223 SECOND - - 2 TO 3 SECOND BRIEF HUGS.

AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I GOT TO DO IS TO HOLD THEM AND HAVE A PROPER HUG AND TO FOR THEM TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M OUT AND IT ALLOWS US TO HEAL.

JOHN: YOUR DAUGHTER IS GETTING MARRIED IN APRIL?

LAMAR: SHE IS GETTING MARRIED IN AND I AM OVERJOYED TO BE ABLE TO APRIL TO BE THERE AND WATCH THAT THAT HAPPEN.

JOHN: LAMAR, HAVE YOU THOUGHT MUCH BEYOND THAT, BEYOND WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR YOU, WHAT YOU MIGHT DO, WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO, TRY TO DO?

LAMAR: WELL, I MEAN, I WORKED FOR THE DOC 30 YEARS, SO I, I LEARNED HOW TO TRANSCRIBE IN BRAILLE.

I KNOW SOME GRAPHIC ARTS.

BUT I AM OPEN TO DOING ANYTHING.

I JUST WANT AN OPPORTUNITY, JOB OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY IS NOT AFFORDED TO ME BY THE STATE OF MISSOURI.

I MEAN, IF I WAS GIVING OUT ON PAROLE, THEY WOULD PROVIDE ALL TYPE OF ASSISTANCE -- TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, EVEN.

BUT THEY DON'T DO THAT FOR EXONEREES.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HOPE THE LEGISLATURE WILL LOOK AT AS WELL.

JOHN: LAMAR, WHEN I ASKED YOU WHAT YOU MISSED IN PRISON, YOU SAID YOU MISSED THE THINGS YOU HADN'T DONE YET.

AND YOU SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN.

HAVE YOU GOT AN OCEAN TRIP PLANNED?

LAMAR: I DON'T HAVE ONE PLANNED BUT GOD WILLING, I'LL GET THAT OPPORTUNITY.

THAT AND FLYING IN AN AIRPLANE.

SO MAYBE I WILL GET TO FLY IN THE AIRPLANE TICKET TO THE OCEAN AND I WILL ENJOY BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.

JOHN: ALL IN ONE TRIP.

THANK YOU BOTH AND LAMAR, WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.

LAMAR: THANK YOU, THANK YOU SOME MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

LINDSAY: THANK YOU.

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