A Philadelphia woman is free after spending nearly a week in jail for a crime in Texas she did not commit.
Julie Hudson was linked to a shoplifting and assault case at a sporting goods store in Webster, which is just outside of Houston, in May 2022. Webster police had a surveillance photo of a suspect who they believed was named Julie Hudson.
They searched social media as part of their investigation and said images of Philadelphia’s Julie Hudson looked similar to the woman in the surveillance photo.
Prosecutors then approved a warrant for her arrest. The Hudson family said Julie eventually discovered she had a criminal record after she had trouble getting jobs. When she went to a Philadelphia police station to figure out the next steps, she was arrested.
Her family worked tirelessly to try to clear her name and get her out. They contacted NBC10, who then reached out to Philadelphia police.
On Tuesday, prosecutors dropped the case.
“Nobody should ever go through that. Ever,” the 31-year-old Ph.D. student told NBC10 after she was released from jail in Philadelphia and reunited with her family late Wednesday night.
In a statement, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Texas said it accepts “charges based on the sworn evidence presented to us by law enforcement.” Once Webster police notified prosecutors of the error, they “dismissed the case within five minutes and immediately contacted Philadelphia Police to release our hold on Ms. Hudson.”
A Philadelphia police spokesperson added in a statement to NBC10: “PPD became aware of the warrant being dismissed on 1/11/23 at approximately 5 p.m. after receiving a media inquiry. At that time, we immediately requested that Ms. Hudson be released from custody and are actively working with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons to process her release in as expeditious a manner as possible.”
The Hudson family said they are considering legal action.
The NBC affiliate in Houston is reporting that Webster police, at this point, do not even know if the real suspect’s name in the case is actually Julie Hudson.
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