After two men entered an apartment in the Coconut Grove section of Miami on Jan. 17, 1990, and one of them fatally shot a man during a robbery, witnesses and tipsters said the gunman was named Thomas James or Tommy James.
That led police to put a photo of Thomas Raynard James in a lineup, setting in motion a case of mistaken identification that led James, then 23, to be convicted of first-degree murder and armed robbery Jan. 11, 1991. He was sentenced to life in prison.
But James never gave up trying to prove his innocence. He investigated his case while in prison, and his mother, Doris Strong, knocked on doors, looking for answers, according to James’ lawyer, Natlie G. Figgers.
On Wednesday, their efforts were finally validated when a judge approved a motion by prosecutors to vacate James’ conviction and sentence, setting him free after he had spent more than half of his life — over 31 years — in prison.
Tanya Singh is pursuing Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Chandigarh University. She is a passionate blogger, who understands the power of words. Tanya is currently working as an Intern at The Shining Media and she is reachable at tanya2801singh@gmail.com
