Man wrongfully convicted of killing ex-girlfriend and her son in 1978 gets $21 million settlement after nearly 4 decades in jail
A man in California will be receiving $21 million in settlement after he spent almost 40 years behind bars following his wrongful conviction of murdering his ex-girlfriend and her four-year-old toddler son. Craig Richard Coley, who was finally released from prison in November 2017 at the age of 70, agreed to the enormous payout on February 23. Coley was convicted in 1978 of murdering 24-year-old Rhonda Wicht and her toddler son Donald at her home in Simi Valley.
After he spent almost four decades in prison, the then-California Governor Jerry Brown, finally granted Coley a pardon towards the end of 2017. The city of Simi Valley finally announced on February 23 that they had reached the $21 million settlement with the wrongfully convicted man, Daily Mail reported.