A Missouri man is keeping his fingers crossed ahead of his court hearing on Monday regarding his conviction of a crime two other people have since confessed to committing. Lamar Johnson was convicted back in 1995 for the killing of 25-year-old Marcus Boys the year prior, with prosecutors at the time claiming that the victim was shot to death over a $40 drug debt.
Lamar maintained his innocence throughout the trial, stressing he was nowhere near the scene where the incident occurred; he told the court he was with his girlfriend several miles away from where Marcus was gunned down. A few years after being sentenced to life in prison, the only witness in the case retracted their statement that accused Lamar and another suspect, Phil Campbell, of being the shooters responsible for Marcus’ death.
Lamar Johnson is an innocent person wrongfully convicted and unjustly incarcerated for over 27 years. Lamar will have a hearing the week of Dec 12th-16th, and on the first day, we ask the community to join us at noon at the courthouse to rally for Lamar. Innocence is ALL. pic.twitter.com/jpYKeDV13X
— Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (@MADPMO) December 10, 2022
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While Phil ended up pleading guilty in return for a lesser prison term (seven years), Lamar was going to spend the rest of his life behind bars for a crime he has vehemently denied since first being accused of the felony. While speaking to KMOV-TV, Lamar remains confident that his upcoming hearing at the St. Louis Circuit Court will prove his innocence once and for all.
“I believe in God. I believe that he had a purpose for me other than to spend the rest of my life in prison. … I think you can lie, you can deny, you can hide the truth, but eventually it’s going to find a way. … I’m comforted in that.”
Per the report, Lamar added that any person who is overlooking this case will see that with the evidence provided, as well as the fact that two others have come forwarded and confessed to being the actual criminals responsible for the shooting, would have no doubt that he’s innocent.
Today is #LamarJohnson‘s 49th Birthday!!! We will be rallying on Mon, Dec 12th at the St. Louis City Carnahan Bldg at noon! Let this be the last birthday he will spend wrongfully convicted & unjustly incarcerated as an INNOCENT PERSON! #InnocenceIsAll #JusticeForLamar pic.twitter.com/ETjmQbyzaW
— Missouri Justice Coalition (@MoJusticeOrg) December 6, 2022
Johnson’s persistent claims of innocence resulted in a state law coming into action last year which has allowed convicted felons to receive new hearings in their case if there is sufficient evidence proving that they have been wrongfully convicted of a crime. In November 2021, Kevin Strickland was released from prison after serving more than 42 years for a triple murder he did not commit.
His case became the longest confirmed wrongful conviction case in Missouri’s history.