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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A man who spent three decades in prison for a murder he has always denied he committed will soon be a free man.
On Wednesday, prosecutors asked a court to throw out the conviction of Thomas Raynard James, who was found guilty in 1991 for the robbery and shooting death of Francis McKinnon in a Coconut Grove apartment.
According to the motion to vacate the conviction, there was a requested polygraph of James. Although not admissible in court, it was another factor to be considered.
James was asked three questions: 1. Were you physically there in the room when Francis McKinnon was shot? 2. Did you shoot Francis McKinnon? 3. Were you involved in the robbery/murder of Francis McKinnon in any way?
The state was advised James was truthful and passed all three questions.
Before the court hearing, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said she met with James’ defense team who were completely dedicated to proving his innocence.
“They never stopped believing in his innocence. For family members of Mr. James, for the next of kin for Francis Mckinnon, the victim, this is both a day of joy and a day of sadness. For the James family, this has been a day long in coming,” said Fernandez Rundle.
Thomas Raynard James at State Attorney’s Office news conference on April 27, 2022. (CBS4)
There was never any evidence that linked James to the murder, no DNA, and no fingerprints. At the time, McKinnon’s stepdaughter said she unequivocally could identify James as the shooter. Decades later, she said she made a mistake.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Justice Project spent a year reviewing the case, going over documents, and re-interviewing witnesses.
A witness at the time told investigators that a man named “Thomas James” was involved, they believed it was Thomas Raynard James. After he was convicted and imprisoned, James learned that another man named Thomas James may have been involved.
The other James, however, was behind bars at the time of the crime. However, he reportedly acknowledged that he knew the people who had planned the robbery and said the imprisoned James was innocent.
“Today we are going to undo the conviction of an innocent man. Today we are undoing an injustice that was an unintentional wrong. We are going to ask the court, our court of law, to give Mr. James the freedom he deserves,” said Fernandez Rundle.
Fernandez Rundle said their most likely suspect in McKinnon’s murder died without ever being held accountable.