In a significant turn of events, Robert Johnson, a Chicago resident who had been incarcerated for nearly three decades for a 1996 murder conviction, was released from prison on Thursday. Johnson, now 45, had spent 28 years and 10 months behind bars for a crime he has consistently proclaimed his innocence of, finally walking out of Cook County jail surrounded by eagerly waiting family members. "I didn’t think this day was going to happen. They had me in that cage for 28 years and 10 months, for something I had nothing to do with," Johnson told Fox32 Chicago.
Johnson was just 16 when he was arrested and later convicted for the murder of Eddie “Jay” Binio, with the primary evidence against him being the testimony of a teenage co-defendant, who according to the Exoneration Project, later recanted that testimony, claiming to have been coerced by police to falsely implicate Johnson. This, paired with new evidence and witness testimonies revealing different accounts of the crime, led Judge Joanne Rosado to vacate his convictions on February 19 and order a new trial.
During the reconsideration of the case, no physical evidence or eyewitness accounts were found to directly link Johnson to the gruesome act. Notably, the victim's sister and girlfriend affirmed that Johnson was not one of the individuals who committed the crime. These revelations were instrumental in the decision made by Judge Rosado who, after the testimony, found the newly presented witnesses credible and granted Johnson post-conviction relief. This decision marked a new chapter for Johnson who had been fighting for his innocence from within the confines of Menard Correctional Center, learning and preparing through the years by earning his GED and completing 46 credits towards an associate's degree.
Celebration amidst the struggle was in the air as Johnson anticipated his future with hope and a resolve to raise awareness about others who may also be wrongfully imprisoned. "I screamed, nobody would listen to me, and I just want the world to know that there is still people here in prison and in Cook County Jail for things they didn't commit," Johnson expressed in a Fox32 Chicago interview. Johnson's attorney, Megan Richardson of The Exoneration Project, informed that a court hearing is scheduled for March when the state will decide whether to retry the case, dismiss it, or appeal the court's decision to vacate his conviction.
The newly freed Johnson looks forward as he reunites with his cherished family, particularly his grandmother, Mary Robinson, who at 92 years old, expressed her deep faith sustained through the decades. "I prayed. My only wish was, ‘Lord let me live to see my grandson walk through my door, let me see him come home’ – and he did it," she shared with the Chicago Sun-Times. After years of enduring what Johnson described as "horrible" prison food, he joked that he looks forward to savoring a home-cooked meal, particularly his grandmother's corn cakes — a small but profound luxury of freedom.
