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After spending 39 years behind bars for a murder they did not commit, Ricky Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman finally walked out of prison as free men. VPC
Ricky Jackson, 57, who served 39 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit, walks out of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court a free man.(Photo: Dan Bowman, WKYC-TV, Cleveland)
CLEVELAND — After 39 years behind bars for a 1975 murder they didn't commit, two men were released from prison Friday.
Ricky Jackson, 57, and Wiley Bridgeman, 60, were both released at separate court hearings Friday.
Cuyahoga County prosecutors filed a motion Thursday to dismiss charges against Jackson and Bridgeman after the sole witness in the case admitted to lying decades after making his testimony. That witness was 13 years old at the time.
Their convictions stemmed from the May 19, 1975, killing of businessman Harry Franks outside a store in Cleveland.
When he walked into the courtroom at 9 a.m. Friday, Jackson was smiling and waving at those who were present for the hearing.
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"Life is filled with small victories, and this is a big one," Judge Richard McMonagle of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court said to Jackson. "Know who your friends are because everyone is going to want a piece of you. You better trust the people who you know you can trust. So, I wish you good luck."
Immediately following the judge's comments, Jackson made a brief statement.
Wiley Bridgeman, 60, couldn't stop smiling as he was officially released from prison.(Photo: Shane Snider, WKYC-TV, Cleveland)
"I'd like to thank you for conducting the proceedings in a fair and impartial manner," Jackson said. "I would also like to thank the prosecutor's office for showing a lot of integrity. You guys let the evidence be heard, and you followed the evidence."
When he rose to his feet a free man, Jackson stared skyward with a smile on his face before exchanging several hugs and walking out the door.
Bridgeman was officially released at 10:45 a.m. He, too, could not stop smiling during his hearing.
"I wish you the best of luck as you go forward," the judge said. "It's going to be difficult making the transition for you."
Bridgemen also offered a brief thank you to those in the court.
Bridgeman embraced his brother, Ronnie, now known as Kwame Ajamu, as he walked out of the courthouse. He seemed overwhelmed by the whirlwind of the past few days, saying he wasn't sure what the future holds, outside of a celebratory fish dinner.
"Stick with me. You'll be all right," said Ajamu, 57, who has been free since 2003. "I ain't never going to let you go."
Ajamu was present at both release hearings.
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Jackson and his lawyers planned to celebrate Friday at a hotel. Asked where he was going to live, Jackson replied: "It's ironic. For 39 years, I've had a place to stay. Now, you know, that's precarious."
Ajamu said Thursday that the prospect of the three being together again is "mind boggling." Ajamu spent his 18th birthday on death row and was in prison when his mother, a brother and a sister died.
The three-year process that led to their exonerations began with a story published in Cleveland's Scene magazine in 2011 that detailed flaws in the case, including the questionable testimony of Eddie Vernon, now 52.
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Vernon did not recant until a minister visited him at a hospital in 2013. Vernon broke down Tuesday during a court hearing for Jackson as he described the threats from Cleveland police detectives and the burden of guilt he had carried for so long.
Jackson said he holds no animosity toward Vernon.
"It took a lot of courage to do what he did," he said. "He's been carrying a burden around for 39 years, like we have. But in the end, he came through, and I'm grateful for that."
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The Ohio Innocence Project took up Jackson's cause after the Scene article even though there was no DNA evidence, the hallmark of Innocence Project cases. A Cleveland attorney represented Bridgeman and Ajamu.
Joe Frolik, a spokesman for county prosecutor Tim McGinty, declined to comment Thursday except to reiterate a statement McGinty made Tuesday.
"The state concedes the obvious," he said.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Wiley Bridgeman couldn't stop smiling as he was officially released from prison Nov. 21, 2014 in Cleveland. He served 39 years behind bars for a 1975 crime he didn't commit. WKYC-TV, Cleveland
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