Atlanta, Georgia city council members are considering a $1.5 million settlement to a man who was wrongfully arrested and jailed for nearly 14 months for a crime he did not commit.
Keith Sylvester was arrested and jailed in Fulton County in December 2018 on charges he strangled his mother, Deborah Hubbard, and stepfather, Harry Hubbard, to death and set fire to their home about six months earlier.
All charges against him were dropped after authorities determined he committed no crimes, and he was released from custody in March 2020.
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Keith Sylvester was arrested and jailed for nearly 14 months for a crime he did not commit. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)
Sylvester has continued to maintain his innocence since his 2018 arrest.
“I am innocent and had nothing to do with the deaths of my mother and stepfather,” he told Fox 5 Atlanta at the time.
The case against Sylvester was thrown into doubt when evidence emerged implicating another suspect, Cornelius Mackle, who was subsequently identified as the actual perpetrator. Fox 5 Atlanta.
Cornelius Mackle was suspected as the actual suspect in the murders. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)
Makru's phone was tracked to the crime scene, and detectives discovered he had taken items from the Hubbard home two days after the murder. He was jailed in late 2020.
Recalling his wrongful arrest, Sylvester said, “My mug shot should never have been taken.”
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Sylvester has continued to maintain his innocence since his 2018 arrest. (iStock)
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In the days after the murder, Sylvester helped police find the real killer, setting off arson signs around the neighborhood in an attempt to hold the killer accountable, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
The Atlanta Public Safety Commission's decision to reach a settlement in Sylvester's case now goes to the full Atlanta City Council for final approval.
