A Philadelphia man who was freed from prison after serving 24 years for a murder conviction for which he was exonerated is returning to prison for a separate killing.
Shaurn Thomas, 50, was exonerated and given a $4.1 million settlement after he was released from a life sentence in 2017 following the overturning of his 1994 murder conviction.
But on Thursday, Thomas pleaded guilty to a 2023 murder, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Thomas was convicted of shooting and killing his girlfriend’s friend, Akeem Edwards, last year after the victim allegedly failed to pay $1,200 for the cocaine Thomas provided him to sell, the outlet reported.
The judge at the plea hearing appeared shocked that a man who received millions in settlement money after spending nearly half his life in prison would risk being sent back over a comparably small amount of money, according to the paper.
“Are these facts true?” Common Pleas Court Judge Roxanne Covington asked Thomas, to which he confirmed.
On top of the murder charge, Thomas pleaded guilty to conspiracy, illegal gun possession and other charges.
Edwards’ family told the paper that they hope Thomas returns to prison for the rest of his life after his sentencing, which is scheduled for February.
“There’s not enough time for them to possibly give him,” Edwards’ sister, Tyeisha Marshall, told the paper.
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Thomas’ previous life sentence that was overturned in 2017 came after the 1990 shooting death of a businessman in a robbery gone wrong.
A judge vacated his conviction over issues with the police investigation, including the failure to verify his alleged alibi, as well as interrogation tactics involving alleged coconspirators. The Pennsylvania Innocence Project, which helped secure Thomas’ freedom, says he was nowhere near the murder scene.
Prosecutors said they were not completely convinced that Thomas was entirely innocent in the killing, but the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office declined to retry his case.
