A man who served more than 30 years of a 400-year prison sentence on armed robbery charges from 1988 has been freed after being exonerated. This is his incredible story.
Man accused of being getaway driver in 1988 armed robbery
On June 19, 1988, Sidney Holmes was arrested and accused of being the getaway driver for two unidentified men who allegedly robbed a man and woman at gunpoint outside a store and stole the victim’s car, The Guardian reported.
The incident took place just west of Fort Lauderdale, according to the Broward County state attorney’s office.
On October 6, 1988, Holmes was arrested and later convicted following a jury trial in 1989. He was sentenced to 400 years in prison.
The two male robbery suspects remain unidentified.
Investigators re-examine the case
For more than 30 years, Sidney Holmes maintained his innocence. Holmes contacted the state attorney’s Conviction Review Unit (CRU) in November 2020. The CRU then determined Holmes had a plausible claim of innocence, CBS News reported.
“Prosecutors with the Conviction Review Unit (CRU) determined that Holmes had a plausible claim of innocence because of how he became a suspect and because of the precarious eyewitness identification that was the principal evidence against him at trial,” said Broward County state attorney, Harold Pryor.
During the reinvestigation, the CRU found that the eyewitness identification of homes was probably a “misidentification.” Pryor attributed the mistake as being partly due to photo and live lineup practices that were commonly used by law enforcement at the time, which he deemed “scientifically unreliable.”
The CRU review of Holmes’ case not only determined the initial investigation was likely incorrect but further established no evidence connecting Holmes to the robbery other than the flawed identification.
In addition, Pryor said, an investigation launched by the brother of one of the victims found that Holmes’ car was likely misidentified at the time, noting that key differences between his Oldsmobile and the one used by the robbers were overlooked.
Man exonerated and freed after serving 30 years of a 400-year prison sentence
Based on the information from the review, five of six independent panelists voted that Holmes was innocent and that his conviction should immediately be thrown out.
On Monday, March 13, 2023, after serving more than three decades of a 400-year prison sentence, Sidney Holmes was exonerated of all charges and freed, Yahoo News reported.
“We have one rule here at the Broward State Attorney’s Office – do the right thing, always,” Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor said in a statement. “I commend the victims, witnesses, and law enforcement officers for their candor and assistance in reinvestigating a crime that occurred more than 34 years ago.”
After being freed, Holmes was greeted by his family and said the first thing he wanted to do was to get something to eat.
The nonprofit group OIC of South Florida is reportedly set to assist Holmes with reintegration services, job training, and placement.
