3 Philadelphia Men Released From Prison After 30 Years For A Crime They Didn’t Do

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:01]I'm going to talk to you guys today about a story.

[00:00:05]A story about three young men at the age around about 18, 19 at the time.

[00:00:15]That was convicted of murder.

[00:00:22]About 30 years ago.

[00:00:24]Right here in my city.

[00:00:27]Right here in Philadelphia.

[00:00:31]Three young men adults, but barely adults were convicted of murder.

[00:00:41]Here we are, fast forward 30 years later.

[00:00:46]And they were just exonerated.

[00:00:49]That's right. Those three grown men now These men are well into their 40s, pushing 50 were released from prison.

[00:01:05]Because they were convicted of a crime that they didn't do.

[00:01:12]The district attorney here in Philadelphia said those young men were robbed of a fair trial.

[00:01:26]These men were innocent.

[00:01:31]They spent the better part of 30 years behind bars for a crime they didn't commit.

[00:01:39]Do I think they're the only ones?

[00:01:42]No.

[00:01:44]And that's why I'm bringing this video to you guys.

[00:01:49]Because there's so many innocent men behind bars.

[00:01:53]There's so many men that were denied a fair trial.

[00:02:02]Believe it or not, I got a friend that used to work in the corrections as a CO.

[00:02:15]He quit some time ago for that very reason.

[00:02:21]Because he said he he knew for a fact. See, these COs and these prisoners, I'm not going to say they have somewhat of a mutual relationship, a mutual friendship, but you get to know I never worked in the prison day in my life, but I know what goes on.

[00:02:47]I know what goes on in there.

[00:02:49]And these correctional officers and these prisoners have a rapport of some somewhat.

[00:03:00]And my homie that was working in corrections quit his job years ago because of that very thing.

[00:03:19]He said, "Bro, you can tell when somebody you know, ain't nobody just going to keep walking around talking about they innocent. Ain't nobody going to keep writing petitions and writing letters to district attorneys and writing letters to judges and reaching out."

[00:03:35]And there's one thing to hear those things from afar, cuz we hear we hear people that are guilty do those things. But when you dealing with them face-to-face on an everyday basis, he said, "Bro, I'm a good judge of character."

[00:03:54]He said, "I ain't going to say most. I ain't going to say all, but there's a lot of men behind bars for stuff they did not do.

[00:04:04]Wrong place, wrong time is a thing."

[00:04:09]And part of reason why I'm dropping this video is because we all know life isn't fair.

[00:04:19]But there's people out there that's naive enough to think the judicial system is fair.

[00:04:24]That a court of law is fair.

[00:04:27]And that's not always the case, fellas.

[00:04:30]When I hear of stories like this about those three young men that was stripped 30 years of their life, I think about my children.

[00:04:44]Mainly my son.

[00:04:46]Cuz my son is around that age that they were back when all this nonsense happened.

[00:04:58]And I I I think and I and I somewhat stress over what I would do if that ever happened to my child.

[00:05:10]It's a sad joke. It's a sad state.

[00:05:13]Imagine.

[00:05:14]These young men were 18, 19 years old and spent 30 years in prison.

[00:05:22]And here they are 48, 49 years old getting out for something they didn't do.

[00:05:28]In this world where they don't have no skills, they never paid a bill.

[00:05:38]They probably never got a driver's license. Hell, on a light note, not to be light on this one, but probably don't even know what it is to have sex, depending on if they did the deed beforehand or not. We talking about 18 is a pretty tender age for anybody.

[00:05:58]Yeah, you legally grown.

[00:06:02]But, just imagine all the things they missed out on.

[00:06:07]And now here they is out in this crazy world, which is better than being behind bars, I would say.

[00:06:14]But, they out here in this crazy world with no skills, barely know wherewithal with what's going on in modern times.

[00:06:31]They the mental health has to be cuz think about it. Just for your average everyday criminal that does do that bad deed and go into jail go into prison for a a substantial substantial amount of years will have mental health issues. Imagine being there for something you didn't do.

[00:06:57]It's that times 10.

[00:07:07]My thing is two things I'mma say.

[00:07:10]Whoever the prosecutor was need to be held accountable.

[00:07:16]And then men need some type of compensation. Now, I don't know what's pending or whatever, but 30 years, fellas, think about that, though.

[00:07:30]We heard of people serving 3 years, let out, found out our bad, even though that's still cynical, as well.

[00:07:40]5 years, even 8 years, even a dime.

[00:07:45]We talking about three decades of being behind bars.

[00:07:51]And we got to know that we living not only in a corrupt world, but it's a very cynical world.

[00:08:00]Cuz this could happen to me, you, your brother, your son, your uncle.

[00:08:12]It is a bad joint.

[00:08:14]I definitely had to share this one with y'all because for whatever reason, I don't know them guys.

[00:08:20]You know, I'm not too far from the age, but I ain't grow up I'm just ain't me shouting out my homies here.

[00:08:31]They from my city and all, but I don't know these guys from a can of paint. But it touched me in a way because it's like my goodness.

[00:08:40]I mean, my goodness. 30 years for a heinous crime you didn't do.

[00:08:50]There's no there's no get back from that. Even if they get some type of compensation or they sue the city or whatever the case may be.

[00:08:59]Yeah, you go and enjoy that money, but you ain't get 30 years back. There's no amount of money that can pay for 30 year 30 years of one one's life. There isn't.

[00:09:16]Tread lightly, fellas.

[00:09:20]Just know things ain't all it's cracked up to be.

[00:09:25]Watch your circle.

[00:09:28]Watch who you put around you.

[00:09:30]Watch where you be.

[00:09:33]Keep your head on a swivel. All those things.

[00:09:37]I know I'm speaking very academically at this point cuz y'all like yeah we we know all that bro.

[00:09:46]But when I say life is of the essence is of the essence.

[00:09:53]Tomorrow ain't promised your freedom ain't promised.

[00:09:59]Because even though this happened 30 years ago.

[00:10:03]Like I said earlier in this video.

[00:10:06]There's many more where that came from.

[00:10:10]They just happen to catch this.

[00:10:15]I think it was called some the Pennsylvania Innocence Project.

[00:10:22]Them guys been writing letter this been this been in place since 2009.

[00:10:27]This been going on since 09 these guys have been countlessly reaching out petitioning and and and writing in prosecutor lawyers and things of that nature.

[00:10:40]It's a process.

[00:10:42]And it paid off. It was just 30 years too late.

[00:10:50]Watch yourselves fellas.

[00:10:52]I see y'all in the next one. I'm out.