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A man from Connecticut has now been freed after spending 20 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. Through the use of DNA tests, Miguel Roman’s lawyers were able to provide strong evidence that proved his innocence in connection with the murder of his then 17-year-old pregnant girlfriend, Carmen Lopez. Judge Davis from the Court of Connecticut dismissed the charges to Miguel Roman who was serving a 60-year sentence after being found guilt of the murder of his girlfriend. With friends and family clapping and cheering him on Mr Roman said, "I've got my freedom, and that's it." Despite circumstantial evidence and witness testimonies from the victim’s friends and family, he was finally eliminated as a suspect after investigators were able to obtain DNA from cigarette butts found in Carmen Lopez’s apartment, and compared them to ligatures around her neck. According to prosecutors, they were also able to learn more from DNA extracted from sperm, which was collected from the victim’s body. It was stated that Roman’s motive for killing his girlfriend was that he was not the father of her unborn child. Roman’s daughter, Vanessa was 10 years old when her father was convicted and sent to and she has been reported as saying, "I always knew he was innocent, I never gave up hope, so in my eyes and my hope it was just a matter of when. And now he's here, so we just take it from here now." The police have since arrested and charged another man for the murder. Pedro Miranda from New Britain, aged 51 was linked through the same DNA tests that freed Roman, and he now faces the death penalty for the murder of Lopez and also16-year-old Rosa Valentin in 1986 and 13-year-old Mayra Cruz in 1987. Date: November 2008 |
