Davontae Sanford was in his pajamas at the Detroit crime scene in 2007 when police picked him up. After two days of interrogation police announced that Sanford, known among his friends and family for telling tall tales had confessed.
The real culprit, Vincent Smothers, who is currently incarcerated for unrelated murders, gave a 26-page affidavit in March 2015, claiming responsibility for the murders, saying that not only was Sanford not involved, but that he he didn’t even know who he was. "I had never met, spoken with, or even heard of Davontae Sanford or anyone connected to him," Smothers’ affidavit read. "Davontae Sanford is being wrongly incarcerated for a crime that I know he did not commit."
Another report showed that a deputy chief that investigated the case contradicted sworn testimony that claimed Sanford drew a detailed diagram of the crime scene.
Prosecutors concluded that "Recognizing the importance of that testimony, attorneys from the Prosecutor's Office worked with Sanford's attorneys… to move to dismiss his case."
Lawyers with Northwestern's Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth and the Michigan Innocence Clinic at the University of Michigan Law took on Sanford’s case pro bono.
"After 3,185 days of prison time for a crime he did not commit, Davontae finally got justice today," said Megan Crane, who co-directs the center, "Davontae and his family, and many lawyers, have fought long and hard to show the truth in this case. We could not be happier that this day is finally here."
Michigan state assistant public defender Valerie Newman said Tuesday that, "Justice was not done (initially), but justice was done today," adding that Sanford’s family "of course are thrilled. His mom was screaming and crying and every emotion you can imagine pouring out of her."
Sanford’s attorney at his 2008 trial sought to suppress the false confession, as Sanford is developmentally challenged and his statements could have been called into question. Even after Smothers’ confession, a judge denied an attempt to repeal Sanford’s plea in 2012.
David Moran, who directs the Michigan Innocence Project, said in a statement "The justice system took many years to acknowledge the complete breakdown that allowed for Davontae to sit in prison for nine years," and expressed that "Davontae can now return to his family and, for the first time in his adult life, live as a free man."
Moran says Sanford was "unjustly railroaded" by an inefficient court system and unfit legal representation. "Here, a 14-year-old kid confessed to a crime he did not commit only after he had been interrogated repeatedly over the course of two days without an attorney, or even a parent, present," he said, commenting that, "His confession made little sense and got more wrong than right."
