For over three decades, Florida native Sidney Holmes was wrongly accused and convicted of a crime he knew nothing about. He was accused of being the getaway driver during a June 1988 armed robbery. Though it took a long time, his vision and yearning for freedom eventually came to pass and he is currently like them that dream dreams.
Holmes was finally exonerated after he spent almost 34 years of his life out of a 400-year sentence, in prison. In a statement to The Innocence Project of Florida, a Non-Profit, Holmes said, “I always believed that this day would come, and I never lost hope.” When asked about his family, he added, “I am looking forward to embracing my mother in the outside world for the first time in more than 34 years.”
The NGO helped prove Holmes’ innocence and got him out of jail. On Monday, March 13, 2023, the 57-year-old who surprisingly held no grudges was glad his name and reputation had been restored. He was released from a Fort Lauderdale prison in Florida.
Holmes maintained his innocence and even contacted the State Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit (CRU) in 2020. Reviewing his case, the CRU soon realized that the eyewitness identification was likely inaccurate. His case became more robust when the CRU discovered that the presumably flawed label was the only evidence connecting him to the issue. Besides that, there was not much that would hold ground in court.
Apparently, the brother of the victim also investigated the case and found that Holmes’ car was also likely misidentified at the time, leading to his wrongful life sentence.
While reviewing his case in court, five out of six panelists voted in favor of his freedom and his innocence. Moreover, even the victims in the case were on Holmes’ side and believed that he should be freed. Deputies involved in the original case were in disbelief the man had served three decades for a crime he did not commit.
The video of Holmes reuniting with his family has since gone viral online. In the clip, he walks out in a clean white shirt reminiscent of his innocence. God is indeed real. In the video below, he narrates his plans to help others who have been wrongfully imprisoned and how he plans to enjoy his restored freedom.
