Massachusetts Judge Michael Ricciuti granted Thomas Rosa, who has been in prison since his 1993 conviction for the 1985 murder of 18-year-old Gwendolyn Taylor, a new trial after DNA evidence cast doubt on the reliability of the eyewitness testimony in the case, according to a Boston.com article. Rosa, who has spent nearly four decades defending his innocence, now seeks an end to his legal nightmare.
During the original trial, Rosa was tried three times for Taylor's murder. The wrongful conviction catalyzed advocacy organizations such as the New England Innocence Project and the Boston College Innocence Program to intervene. These organizations plan to hold a news conference on Monday in front of Suffolk Superior Court in Boston, calling for prosecutors to drop the charges against Rosa and allow him a chance to rebuild his life, as reported by U.S. News.
These groups have urged District Attorney Kevin Hayden's office to "end this almost forty-year nightmare" instead of subjecting Rosa to a fourth trial. The District Attorney's office, however, has stated they are reviewing the ruling and will announce their decision at a future date, per the original Boston.com report.
