Ronnie Long, a North Carolina man who spent 44 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of rape in 1976, was awarded $25 million in a combined settlement and an apology from the city where he was tried, USA Today reports.
Now 68, Long agreed to a settlement in which the city of Concord, North Carolina will pay $22 million and the state Bureau of Investigation will pay $3 million in the second-largest wrongful-conviction settlement in US history. But more important for Long was the apology from the Concord City Council, which read in part, “We are deeply remorseful for the past wrongs that caused tremendous harm to Mr. Long, his family, friends, and our community. While there are no measures to fully restore to Mr. Long and his family all that was taken from them, through this agreement we are doing everything in our power to right the past wrongs and take responsibility.”
An investigation into the investigation that led to Long’s conviction found law enforcement officers rigged the jury pool with allies, making sure no Black people were in the jury for Long, who is Black. No physical evidence connected Long to the burglary or rape, and the victim’s identification was shown to be influenced by police. Additionally, while more than 40 fingerprints were lifted from the scene, none of them matched Long; none of that information was shared with the defense.