OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Juwan Deering, 50, walked out of prison a free man on Thursday (Sept. 30) after his conviction in a fatal Royal Oak Township fire was vacated.
Prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to tie him to the crime and the investigation had been compromised by misconduct.
“It was the right thing to do. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do by any means, but it was the right thing to do,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said.
Deering walked into court shackled at the waist, but in less than 10 minutes a judge agreed with the prosecutor and released him. He is now a free man.
McDonald said her office learned that Deering didn’t receive due process during his 2006 trial.
“The critical fact here is that none of this would have been discovered without turning over private confidential notes that the prosecutor’s office made in our internal memos,” McDonald said.
Deering was convicted of murder for a house fire in Royal Oak Township that killed five children. The conviction was mostly based on three jailhouse informants who testified against Deering. Evidence shows that the three informants each asked for favors from the prosecutors in exchange for their testimony.
Read: Prosecutor wants murder conviction dropped in 2000 Oakland County fire that killed 5 kids
Deering was able to be reunited with his daughter Deja Deering-Poole.
“It feels great. Ecstatic, and I’m really, really happy. I couldn’t be happier. The sun couldn’t shine on a brighter day. I want to thank everybody, you know. That supported me, through these years and that’s all I can say. For all of those in the same position, just keep fighting. Remember that God is the ultimate decision-maker and one day, you’ll be free as well,” Deering said.
Deering received support from three men who have had similar experiences.
“I served, 26 years, 10 months, 7 days for a crime I didn’t commit,” Larry Darnell Smith Jr., with the National Organization of Exonerees, said.
“I served 19 years 7 months and 12 days in prison for a crime I didn’t commit,” Marvin Cotton Jr., with the National Organization of Exonerees, said.
“I was charged with two counts of felony murder, 4 counts of attempted murder, and 1 count of arson,” Kenneth Nixon, with the National Organization of Exonerees, said.
All three men are free now after serving time in prison. They’ve had to adjust to a new life.
“You go from a completely different environment of being caged, handcuffed, and treated a certain way, and in moments all of that comes to an end. Sometimes, you can find yourself still acting as if you’re incarcerated,” Cotton said.
“We’re out here helping people. That’s that energy. That pain is what birth us, the national organization of exonerees. That’s why we’re here right now,” Smith said.
Read: Oakland County news