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Judge vacates murder conviction of Chicago man wrongfully imprisoned for 35 years
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In this photo provided by Laura Nirider, Brian Beals, center, who was exonerated on a murder charge and released from a downstate prison after 35 years behind bars, hugs his sister Pattilyn Beals, left, and niece Tamiko Beals outside Robinson Correctional Institution, in Robinson, Ill., on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. - photo by Laura Nirider via AP
CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago man who spent 35 years behind bars for a murder he didn't commit was freed Tuesday after a judge vacated his conviction and dismissed all charges. Brian Beals, 57, struggled to find the right words to describe his feelings as he stood outside Robinson Correctional Center in Crawford County, some 210 miles (338 kilometers) south of Chicago, and embraced his sister and niece. “Relief, happiness, it was just amazing to walk out of there," he told The Associated Press in a phone interview.