A Wrongful Conviction

Darien Harris from Chicago was convicted of a murder he didn't commit. Here's what happened.

In 2014, Darien was found guilty of being involved in the shooting of Rondell Moore. This happened at a gas station in Chicago's South Side back in June 2011. Darien was just 18 years old and in his senior year of high school when he got arrested. He had never been in trouble with the law before. But guess what? He got sentenced to 76 years in prison.

A Blind Witness

Darien's family always knew he was innocent. They said he was at home watching a basketball game when the shooting took place. But you know what they found out later? The person who said Darien was the shooter couldn't even see! Yep, that's right. The key witness who testified against Darien was legally blind and couldn't see anything when the crime happened.

When Darien's family and a group called the Exoneration Project at the University of Chicago Law School found out about this, they started fighting to get him out of prison. They said there was no proof that Darien was involved in the crime and there was no physical evidence found in the investigation at all.

Freedom at Last

After spending 12 long years behind bars, Darien finally got some good news. The prosecutors in Cook County, where he was locked up, decided to drop all the charges against him. He walked out of jail and went home to celebrate the holidays with his family for the first time in over a decade. Talk about a Christmas miracle!

Darien's mom, Nakesha Harris, couldn't believe it. She said, "I feel like I'm dreaming, it doesn't feel real. This is the best Christmas gift ever." Can you imagine how emotional that must have been for the family?

What's Next?

Now, here's the thing we don't know yet. Will the prosecutors try to put Darien on trial again? It's unclear at the moment. But let's hope they let him live his life in peace.