Current:Home > InvestA Florida man was imprisoned 37 years for a murder he didn’t commit. He’s now expected to get $14M -Nova Finance Academy
A Florida man was imprisoned 37 years for a murder he didn’t commit. He’s now expected to get $14M
View
Date:2025-04-24 19:37:41
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Robert DuBoise spent 37 years in a Florida prison for a 1983 rape and murder he did not commit. Now, he’s set to receive $14 million from the city of Tampa as compensation for all those lost years.
DuBoise, who was 18 when the crime occurred, was initially sentenced to death for the killing of 19-year-old Barbara Grams. Although his sentence was later reduced to life in prison, it wasn’t until 2018 — with help from the Innocence Project organization — that prosecutors agreed to give the case another look.
DNA testing that was not available in the early 1980s pointed toward two other men in the slaying, leading to DuBoise’s release from prison in 2020. Not long after that, DuBoise sued the city of Tampa, police officers who investigated the case and a forensic dentist who had testified that his teeth matched a purported bite mark on the victim.
The lawsuit was settled Jan. 11 but the Tampa City Council must vote Thursday to approve it and officially award the $14 million to DuBoise, now 59. He was represented in the case by the Chicago-based Loevy & Loevy civil rights law firm, which has handled numerous wrongful conviction cases around the country.
“The settlement is not only an acknowledgement of the harm that Mr. DuBoise suffered, but also an opportunity for him to move on with his life,” the law firm said in a statement.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in his own statement that in the years since the DuBoise case, detectives undergo better training and that advances in technology have made great strides in how such investigations are handled.
“We recognize the profound and lasting effects of this case, especially on Mr. DuBoise nearly four decades later,” Bercaw said.
DuBoise and his law firm will get $9 million this year, $3 million next year and $2 million in 2026, according to city documents.
Grams was sexually assaulted and beaten to death in August 1983 as she walked home from her job at a Tampa restaurant. A medical examiner concluded a wound on her cheek was a bite mark, leading investigators to take bite samples from a number of men including DuBoise. Notably, the wound impression was made using beeswax.
The forensic dentist determined the bite came from DuBoise, even though he didn’t know Grams but frequented the area where her body was found. The dentist testified as part of DuBoise’s lawsuit that he no longer believes bite marks can be matched directly to an individual person, according to the city council resolution about the settlement.
Decades later, the DNA testing pointed to Amos Robinson and Abron Scott, both of whom are serving life prison sentences for a different killing. They are both awaiting trial on first-degree murder charges in the Grams case.
A prison informant’s testimony that DuBoise confessed to killing Grams was also later discredited. The city denied in the settlement that any of its police officers were guilty of intentional wrongdoing, as DuBoise had contended in the lawsuit.
DuBoise walked out of a Florida prison in August 2020.
‘I prayed to God every day and hoped for it,” DuBoise said moments after his release.
At a court hearing a month later in which the case was finally dropped, DuBoise said he’s had a hard time trusting the judicial system “because I’ve had a lot of roadblocks thrown in my path.” Now, he said he believes justice has been done.
“There are really true-hearted people in these offices now,” DuBoise said. “It’s been amazing. I’m just very grateful to all of you.”
veryGood! (5165)
Related
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Loyer, Smith lead No. 3 Purdue past No. 1 Arizona 92-84 in NCAA showdown
- The number of homeless people in America grew in 2023 as high cost of living took a toll
- Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid fined for criticizing officiating after loss to Bills
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar falls and breaks hip at Los Angeles concert
- NFL winners, losers of Saturday: Bengals make big move as Vikings, Steelers stumble again
- Mexico’s Maya tourist train opens for partial service amid delays and cost overruns
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Body of 28-year-old hostage recovered in Gaza, Israel says
Ranking
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Goodreads has a 'review bombing' problem — and wants its users to help solve it
- WWE star Liv Morgan arrested in Florida on marijuana possession charge
- Israeli airstrike killed a USAID contractor in Gaza, his colleagues say
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- Lions on brink of first playoff appearance since 2016 after blasting Broncos
- The Hilarious Reason Ice-T Sits Out This Holiday Tradition With Wife Coco Austin and Daughter Chanel
- European diplomacy steps up calls for Gaza cease-fire
Recommendation
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
Anthony Anderson to host the Emmy Awards, following strike-related delays
Notre Dame spire to be crowned with new rooster, symbolizing cathedral’s resurgence
Body of 28-year-old hostage recovered in Gaza, Israel says
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Ring in 2024 With 1 of the 31 Top-Rated Amazon New Year’s Eve Outfits Under $50
WeightWatchers launches program for users of Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs
Quaker Oats recalls some granola bars and cereals nationwide over salmonella risk