Willie Veasy has been in prison since 1992 for a North Philly robbery and murder, and every day since he has declared his innocence. But as of Wednesday, the fight for his innocence is over.
Last week, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office field a motion for a new trial, citing new evidence that the confession was coerced by detectives and the eyewitness was not credible. On Wednesday, Judge Leon Tucker granted the motion, telling Veasy that "patience is a virtue — you had patience, and now you are a free man."
"There is a pattern or practice of eliciting false confessions," noted James Figorski, Veasy's lawyer. He said the district attorney's office is now looking into other cases connected to the detectives that railroaded Veasy.
"Because it sets the stage for taking a hard look at cases where the detectives involved in this case used improper techniques, potentially resulting in false confessions," she said.
For Veasy, exoneration day is a day he hoped would become reality.