Paul House was one of many people to get a life sentence for a crime that he did not commit, but he was one of the only ones to ever get out of jail. This thanks to DNA evidence.
Paul House was arrested in 1986 for the murder of Carolyn Muncy. Biological evidence used against him during his trial was tested incorrectly and results only came up as 'Inconclusive.' Despite this, Paul received a life sentence and was placed in prison, where he remained until 2006, when the state agreed to review his case after several letters of protest from his family and friends.
Even then it took another two and a half years to finally get a retrial, where DNA forensics found that the biological evidence that had been labelled as Paul's in 1986 actually belonged to Carolyn Muncy's husband.
Paul House was released from prison in May 2009, a full 23 years after his original trial.
This story makes me feel little less secure about our justice system, but does not make me lose all faith in it. For every innocent person that the system puts behind bars there are thousands of others who have actually committed crimes and deserve to be there.
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