Young Detroit Man Released From Prison Day After Judge Throws Out 2008 Quadruple Murder Conviction
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - After eight years, a young Detroit man who entered prison as a 15-year-old is free.
This comes a day after a judge threw out his convictions in four execution-style slayings at a drug house in Detroit.
Davontae Sanford didn't speak to a crowd of reporters Wednesday as he walked out of prison in western Michigan with a brother, who carried his belongings in a plastic sack, and lawyer Valerie Newman who greeted him as he took his first steps to freedom.
"It is surreal for me as well," Newman said. "I mean, when you fight this hard for this long for something...and I was always confident that you know the day is gonna come because it has to...But then it happens, you know, you're just a whirlwind of emotion."
She spoke to WWJ Newsradio 950 as the three made the journey back to Detroit.
"The mood is jubilant, and yet subdued, if that makes sense," said Newman. "Very happy; we're all very happy, obviously, that he's out from prison...but he's catching up on phone calls. The first one, of course, went out to his mother."
Judge Brian Sullivan dismissed Sanford's four guilty pleas to second-degree murder at the request of prosecutors.
A state police investigation found problems with how Detroit police obtained an alleged confession. Separately, an admitted hit man in prison for eight killings says he committed the so-called Runyon Street murders in 2007 — in an affidavit explaining in detail how he did it and asking for Sanford's release.
Sanford, who is blind in one eye, was 14 years old when he approached police at the scene following the killings and was arrested.
His family argued the Sanford is developmentally disabled and was coerced by authorities to confess under interrogation without a parent or attorney present.
He was 15 when was sentenced to 37-to 90-years in prison.
"Right now he just wants to get home, and he wants to see his mother, and he wants to see his cousin and he wants a good Chinese dinner," Newman said. "He's been talking to me about that for weeks. He wants some Chinese food."
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has also agreed not to re-try Sanford, how 23 years old, for these crimes.
Worthy is expected to talk about her decision and what led to Sanford's release at a news conference Thursday.
Smothers, meantime, is serving 52 years in prison for killing eight other people, including the wife of a Detroit police officer.
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