Two brothers, George DeJesus and Melvin DeJesus from Michigan who spent 25 years behind bars for unlawful murder conviction, are now released.
Both the brothers were finding guilty of murder and sentenced to life without bail in 1997 for the killing of Margaret Midkiff, who was found lifeless at her home in 1995.
Fresh proof was revealed in an investigation that set the brothers free. George was represented by Western Michigan University’s Cooley Law School Innocence Project and Melvin was represented by the University of Michigan Innocence Clinic.
Both brothers had established that they were at a social get-together at the time of the killing and nothing linked them to the crime scene, outside of a statement given by Brandon Gohagen, Dave Moran, co-director of the university’s innocence clinic.
Moran said that Gohagen’s DNA was found at the offence sight and he told authorities that the DeJesus brothers forced him to sexually assault Margaret and then killed her.
Moran added that there was just nil indication of that other than Brandon Gohagen’s word. He further said that this was a terrible crime sight and yet there was zero physical proof involving either of the DeJesus brothers to the crime sight.
A University of Michigan bulletin statement reads that Gohagen received a deal and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree criminal sexual behaviour in interchange for his witness against George and Melvin.
In 2017, Gohagen’s DNA was found in two sexual assault followed by murder cases very alike to the murder of Margaret. It was later establish by the Michigan Innocence Clinic that Gohagen had assaulted numerous other women before Margaret’s murder.
Moran said that it is shocking to them at the start and it remains shocking to them now that the police and prosecution would accept this story from a person who’s clearly trying to improve his personal position.
According to the attorney’s general office, the two brothers are entitled for up to a year of reentry housing and two years of other supportive facilities including conveyance, job support and training. The brothers should get $50,000 for each year they were unlawfully captive and reinstitutions for other expenditures to comply with the state’s Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act.
George and Melvin had been held in different facilities and incapable to see each other for 24 years. Moran said that it was just so encouraging and brought tears to eyes when they saw the brothers see each other in person for the first time in 25 years.
