A Minneapolis man, Bryan Hooper Sr., wrongfully convicted for a murder committed 27 years ago, has stepped out into freedom once more. The key witness from his trial, Chalaka Young, recently confessed to the crime herself. This revelation, confirmed by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and Hooper’s attorney, led to his release from the Stillwater Correctional Facility last Thursday.

Hooper was convicted of the murder of 77-year-old Ann Prazniak. Young, initially a pivotal witness in Hooper’s original trial, confessed to the murder in July this year while serving a sentence in a Georgia prison. According to reliable sources, Young’s narrative, crucial for Hooper’s conviction, pointed fingers at Hooper as she tried to divert attention from her own guilt.

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The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office acknowledged Hooper’s innocence and his subsequent exoneration after a judge vacated his conviction. This raises important questions about the integrity of the original trial, notably the reliance on Young’s testimony and the threat of murder charges against her. As we now know, she falsely accused Hooper, leading to his wrongful conviction and life sentence in 1998.

Hooper, throughout his incarceration, maintained his innocence. He contested his conviction multiple times over the years, but his pleas for post-conviction relief were not heeded by the courts. However, the tide turned in his favor when Young confessed to the crime, expressing her distress over Hooper serving a sentence for a crime he did not commit.

Hooper, now 54, spent nearly three decades of his life behind bars for a crime he did not commit. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has expressed its relief over his release and publicly apologized to Hooper and his family for the injustice.

However, questions remain unanswered. Young is currently in custody at the McRae Women’s Facility in Helena, Georgia, on unrelated charges. It is unclear whether she will face charges for Prazniak’s murder following her confession. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has yet to respond.

@fox9mn

A man who has served more than 27 years in prison for a disturbing Minneapolis murder is now set to be freed from prison after a woman confessed that she committed the slaying. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced on Thursday that Bryan Hooper Sr. was set to be released from prison after being exonerated in the murder case. Last month, Moriarty filed a petition for Hooper’s conviction to be vacated after a woman made a surprise confession. Prosecutors said the woman had found religion while serving prison time on another case in Georgia and felt she had to clear Hooper’s name.

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In the aftermath of his release, Hooper was able to reunite with his family, including his four children. Upon his release, he expressed his gratitude to Young for her confession and wished her God’s blessings. Hooper, who used his time in prison to learn software coding, now plans to spend time reconnecting with his family.