Lydell Grant's exoneration paves way for possible $80K payout for each year he was in prison
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston man wrongfully convicted of murder that happened more than a decade ago has been declared "actually innocent" by the state's highest criminal court, bringing an end to years of waiting for an official exoneration.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declared Lydell Grant innocent more than a year after he was released from prison, according to a statement from the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
A jury in 2012 sentenced Grant to life in prison for the 2010 stabbing death of Aaron Scheerhoorn outside a Montrose bar.
Newly discovered evidence led to another suspect being charged with Scheerhoom's killing, according to the district attorney's office.
Even though he was released in 2019, Grant told ABC13 in Nov. 2020 that he was patiently waiting for the court's final say on his exoneration.
RELATED: Lydell Grant waits for exoneration after DNA proves he didn't commit murder
"Being locked up, if I didn't learn anything else, I learned how to have patience," Grant told Eyewitness News at the time. "Whatever the judicial system is trying to do, whatever they have in mind to do, it's not going to work if it's not the right thing."
SEE ALSO: Man free after serving 9-years for a crime he didn't commit
Newly tested DNA evidence freed Grant in Nov. 2019. One month later, Houston police tracked down 42-year-old Jermarico Carter, who they say was Aaron Scheerhorn's actual killer.
"The exoneration of innocent individuals is as important as the conviction of guilty ones," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Wednesday in a statement. "The highest responsibility of a prosecutor is to see that justice is done."
The court's decision means Grant can apply for $80,000 in state compensation for each year of his wrongful imprisonment.
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Man sentenced to life for Montrose bar murder set to be exonerated
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