Man wrongfully imprisoned for 16 years receives $2.75 million
theGRIO REPORT - Kareem Bellamy became a millionaire Wednesday. But the 48-year-old says the money cannot make up for the 16 years he wrongfully spent behind bars...
Kareem Bellamy became a millionaire Wednesday.
But the 48-year-old says the money cannot make up for the 16 years he wrongfully spent behind bars.
Bellamy was convicted of murder in 1995 in the stabbing death of James Abbot, Jr. He was released from prison on bail in 2008. His conviction was officially overturned in 2011 when “evidence emerged” that cleared him of the crime, according to the New York Daily News.
This week, a judge awarded Bellamy $2.75 million in compensation.
Watch a full report on Kareem Bellamy’s settlement below:
“It’s a message that I’ve been saying from the start — that I was innocent,” Bellamy told the New York Daily News. “But it doesn’t make up for what I went through to be honest.”
But even though charges against the 47-year-old were dropped, prosecutors refuse to acknowledge his innocence, claiming instead that the second murder suspect’s taped confession was fake.
“Mr. Bellamy has now been freed from that conviction based on an outright fraud perpetrated against this court,” said Assistant District Attorney Brad Leventhal. “He has not — I repeat — he has not been exonerated.”
However, Bellamy’s lawyer, Thomas Hoffman, who has worked with Bellamy for 11 years, said that the settlement spoke volumes about his client’s innocence.
“It shows some recognition that he never committed the murder,” Hoffman said. “That’s why it is so symbolic that he received this money.”
The settlement was reportedly approved by Alan C. Marin of the New York Court of Claims on Wednesday.
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