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Man Wrongly Imprisoned For 39 Years Awarded $1m Compensation

A 58-year-old man who was wrongfully sentenced to death for murder will receive more than $1m from the state.

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A 58-year-old man who was sentenced to death for murder he did not commit and spent nearly four decades behind bars will receive more than $1m from the state for wrongful imprisonment, a court has ruled.

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Ricky Jackson, 58, was one of three men sent to death row in 1975 after being convicted of aggravated murder in the slaying of a businessman outside a corner store in Cleveland.

Prosecutors at the time of the case relied on the testimony of a 13 year-old boy to convict Mr Jackson, now 58, and two brothers, Wiley Bridgeman and Ronnie Bridgeman, who were his best friends.

Years later, the boy, Eddie Vernon, who earlier claimed to witness the crime recanted his testimony and told authorities he had never actually witnessed the crime.

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According to Sky News, when told of his compensation fee Ricky Jackson said "Wow, wow, wow, that's fantastic, man. I don't even know what to say. This is going to mean so much."

Wiley Bridgeman and Ronnie Bridgeman have not received their compensation yet.

The men’s slow march toward exoneration got its initial boost in 2011 after an investigation by Scene magazine.

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