A Philadelphia man who was acquitted after serving 24 years for murder is back in prison for another murder.
Sean Thomas, 50, was acquitted and awarded a $4.1 million settlement after his 1994 murder conviction was overturned and he was released from a life sentence in 2017.
But on Thursday, it was reported that Thomas had pleaded guilty to the 2023 murder. philadelphia inquirer.
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Shawn Thomas, 50, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges including murder, conspiracy and illegal possession of a firearm. (St. Petersburg)
Last year, Thomas was found guilty of fatally shooting his girlfriend's friend, Akeem Edwards, after the victim allegedly failed to pay Thomas $1,200 for cocaine, the newspaper reported.
A trial judge was shocked that a man who received a multimillion-dollar settlement after spending nearly half his life in prison was at risk of being deported for a relatively small sum, the newspaper reported. It seemed like he received it.
“Are these facts true?” Common Pleas Judge Roxanne Covington asked Thomas, and Thomas acknowledged them.
Last year, Thomas was found guilty of fatally shooting his girlfriend's friend, Akeem Edwards, after the victim allegedly failed to pay Thomas $1,200 for cocaine, the newspaper reported. (St. Petersburg)
In addition to the murder charge, Thomas also pleaded guilty to conspiracy and illegal possession of a firearm.
Edwards' family told the paper they hope Thomas will return to prison for the rest of his life after his sentencing, scheduled for February.
“There's not enough time for them to give him,” Edwards' sister, Tayshia Marshall, told the paper.
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After being released from a life sentence in 2017, Thomas was acquitted and awarded a $4.1 million settlement. (St. Petersburg)
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Thomas' previous life sentence was overturned in 2017 after a businessman was shot and killed during a robbery in 1990.
The judge quashed the conviction over problems with the police investigation, including the failure to verify his alleged alibi and interrogation tactics that involved an alleged co-conspirator. The Pennsylvania Innocence Project, which helped secure Thomas' freedom, maintains he was never near the murder scene.
Prosecutors said they were not completely convinced that Mr. Thomas was completely innocent of the murder, but the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office refused to retry Mr. Thomas.
