Family, Innocence Project Seek To Have New Trial In Murder Case After Another Person Admits To Crime

DETROIT (WWJ) - The family of a Detroit teen serving time for the murders of four people say they are not giving up on their fight for his freedom.

Michigan State Police are looking into some parts of the Davontae Sanford case at the request of the Wayne County prosecutor's office reports WWJ's Stephanie Davis but are quick to say they have not reopened the case.

Sanford is the Detroit man now serving time after he confessed to the murders of four people in a known crack-house in 2007.

But his family says Sanford, who was 14 at the time, is developmentally disabled and was coerced by authorities to confess while in custody without a parent or attorney present.

Saturday the family held a prayer breakfast to vow to continue to fight for his freedom.

June Walker with the prison ministry was among the supporters.

"We want the prosecutor's office to do their job but not to be locking up innocent children," said Walker, "and it won't be long before it touches your house."

Last year a convicted killer came forward to say he committed the crime and not Sanford.

"They don't want to admit they made a mistake, first of all because there was a lot of pressure from the public to find the perpatrator of this crime even though there was four people shot in a crack house, they were still human beings, we acknowledge that -- however you don't have the right to lock-up a 14-year-old child," she says.

Two innocence projects have asked a judge for a new trial. Davontae Tilmon's next court hearing for a "review date" is April 1.