PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The city of Philadelphia has agreed to pay $9.8 million to a man who spent 28 years behind bars after being wrongfully convicted of murder.
The city announced the settlement with Chester Hollman on Wednesday without admitting liability, but Mayor Jim Kenney released a statement saying the agreement reflects not only Hollman's years in prison but his "character and composure in the face of an unimaginably trying situation."
He said the city had reached a "fair agreement" that will allow Hollman to build a future.
Hollman, who is now 50, said there is no way to measure what he lost but the settlement closes a difficult chapter in his life.
Hollman was convicted in the 1991 murder of a 24-year-old University of Pennsylvania student from South Korea during a robbery near Rittenhouse Square.
Two witnesses who testified against Hollman later recanted. A review of the case by the district attorney's office found other flaws in the investigation and prosecution.
Hollman was released in July 2019.
