Two half-brothers of African American descent, who spent 31 years in prison in North Carolina for a crime they did not commit, have been awarded $75 million, according to their attorney speaking to AFP. The Raleigh News & Observer reported that after nearly five hours of deliberation, the jury found that each brother, Henry McCollum and Leon Brown, should receive $31 million, reflecting the 31 years each spent in prison.
Additionally, the brothers were awarded $13 million in punitive damages. The half-brothers, Henry Lee McCollum and Leon Brown, both of whom have intellectual disabilities, were convicted of the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in 1983 when they were 19 and 15 years old, respectively, at the time of their arrest.
Their attorney, Dez Hough, told AFP, "This is the largest award ever given by a jury in a wrongful conviction case in U.S. history." Hough added that the jury sent a message that "the time for ignoring the rights of the poor, people of color, and marginalized individuals in rural areas is over," according to AFP.
The attorney further explained, "They are pleased with their win and are happy that the jury stated the police chief was wrong. They have been exonerated." After their arrest, the McCollum and Brown brothers reported that they were coerced into signing confessions, according to AFP.
In 2014, their convictions were overturned after DNA evidence revealed that another man was present at the location where the body of the girl was found. McCollum and Brown filed a federal lawsuit regarding the violation of their civil rights, and on Friday, the jury awarded them a total of $75 million in damages.
