Innocent Man Who Spent 17 Years in Jail Shot Dead in Chicago After Release

A wrongfully imprisoned man who spent 17 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit has been shot and killed, three years after his release.

Alprentiss Nash, 40, was killed in Chicago on Tuesday in what police are calling a “drug deal gone bad.”  Nash was hit with multiple gunshots.

In 1995, Nash was convicted of the murder of Leon Stroud and was subsequently sentenced to 80 years in prison.  Nash always maintained his innocence

In 2012, his conviction was overturned after DNA evidence on the ski mask used in court as evidence was found to match another man.

Following his release, Nash received a settlement of $200,000 from the state, and was involved in a federal civil rights case against the city of Chicago and the police department at the time of his death.  Though Nash is no longer around to continue fighting, his 22-year-old son, who was very involved in helping to free his father, will continue the battle.

Nash’s mother, Yvette Martin, told Yahoo! News that her son had talked about moving out of state, citing that he no longer felt safe in Illinois.

"He really just wanted to disappear and get out of here," because he was afraid he was being targeted for money, Zellner told Yahoo!

Nash had attended culinary school and dreamed of opening a restaurant, but had trouble finding steady employment due to his record.