BALTIMORE — David Morris was just 19 when he was convicted of felony murder in West Baltimore, pointed out by a witness just because Morris had a "black coat on." He spent 17 years in jail before the state determined Morris was innocent and released him last year.
Now, the Cherry Hill man could get a $1.5 million settlement, if the state's Board of Public Works approves it next week.
Morris was convicted in 2005 for the murder of Mustafa Carter during a robbery in the area of Mulberry and Fulton streets, and was set to serve 50 years in jail.
Witnesses told police they saw two suspects in black hoodies, and one witness identified Morris as a suspect, saying: “That is him right there, that is the shooter with the black coat on.”
Although no evidence was found linking Morris to the murder - and he told detectives: "I didn't do it. I didn't shoot anybody." - he was sentenced to life in prison, with all but 50 years suspended, by a jury.
The Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project got Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby's office to re-investigate the case in 2018, ultimately determining that Morris was wrongly convicted.
Morris was released from jail in 2021 after new DNA testing was done.
The Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project noted:
Within hours of the shooting, KL’s description and account of events had already changed multiple times. No physical evidence linked Mr. Morris to the crime, and police were given seemingly credible information about an alternative suspect. Nonetheless, police never followed up on the alternative suspect; did not interview the second passenger in the car until five months after the shooting; and do not appear to have ever interviewed the third passenger in the car.
Prosecutors ignored these obvious deficiencies and proceeded to trial. KL said at trial that it was too dark, rainy, and foggy for him to have seen anyone’s face and did not identify Morris in court as the assailant. Thus, the only evidence presented that actually linked Mr. Morris to the crime was KL’s original statement to police. After two days of deliberation, the jury convicted Mr. Morris anyway. His direct appeal, post-conviction petition, and initial Writ of Actual Innocence petition were all denied without hearings.
The Maryland Board of Public Works is set to vote Nov. 16 on awarding $1,466,936.68 to Morris for being wrongly jailed.
The compensation is based on a statutory formula, which took into account that Morris was jailed for 5,936 days and the current annual median household income is $90,203.
