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A judge on Tuesday dismissed double murder charges against a Georgian who spent 20 years in prison.
Dennis Perry, 59, was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to life in prison for the 1985 murders of Harold and Thelma Swain, who were killed after a white man entered a black church in Camden County and fired his gun at an evening Bible study session. , according to the Georgia Innocence Project, which works to exonerate innocent people and aided Perry in his case.
“It took a long time, but I never gave up,” Perry said in a statement on Monday. “I knew someone else would see the truth eventually and I am very grateful to the Georgia Innocence Project and King & Spalding for revealing the truth. This indictment has been hanging over me for over 20 years, and it It is such a relief to finally not have to worry about being accused of this horrible thing. “
Judge dismisses charges against Georgian man accused of murder after 20 years in prison.
(Fox 5 Atlanta)
Police interviewed “hundreds” of suspects, including Perry, following the 1985 murders, but Perry only became a prime suspect after Camden County Sheriff promised former Deputy Dale Bundy a job if he could solve the case, according to GIP.
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Perry was sentenced after his ex-girlfriend’s mother testified that he said he wanted to kill Harold Swain. Authorities were later revealed to have awarded the mother $ 12,000 for her testimony, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Glynn County Superior Court Judge Stephen Scarlett granted Perry a new trial in 2020 after DNA evidence from the crime scene did not match Perry’s and Atlanta Constitution-Journal reports revealed led authorities to another suspect.
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Scarlett granted a motion to dismiss the case on Monday, and Brunswick Judicial District Attorney Keith Higgin said he would not pursue the case. Higgin said the Swain family “did not believe Dennis Perry committed these murders” and gave him his blessing for not pursuing the case against Perry, Fox 5 reported.
“We are grateful that, finally, New Brunswick’s new judicial district attorney, Keith Higgins, has been willing to assess this case on the basis of the principles of justice and dismiss the charges, rather than simply fighting to get condemnation at all costs, “GIP Executive Director Clare Gilbert said in a statement Monday.
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Since his release, Perry has spent time with his wife, Brenda, and reconnecting with friends, according to GIP, who organized a fundraiser for the 59-year-old man so he can readjust to life outside. from prison after spending two decades behind bars. .
“I’m grateful that part of the nightmare is behind me,” Perry told reporters outside a Georgia courthouse on Monday, according to Fox 5.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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