District Attorney Krasner Statement on Exoneration of Theophalis Wilson
After 28 Years of Wrongful Incarceration
CONTACT:
Jane Roh, District Attorney’s Office, 215–686–8711, Jane.Roh@phila.gov
PHILADELPHIA (January 21, 2020) — District Attorney Larry Krasner on Tuesday issued the following statement on Common Pleas Court Judge Tracy Brandeis-Roman’s decision to vacate a Murder conviction for Theophalis Wilson (DOB: 11/30/1971) following 28 years of incarceration and to grant the DAO’s request to nolle prosse all charges against Wilson:
“After a close and thorough examination of the facts and evidence in this case, including evidence that should have been turned over to the defense prior to my administration, this office determined that the 1992 conviction of Mr. Wilson for the 1989 murders of Kevin Anderson, Gavin Anderson, and Otis Reynolds lacked integrity. I commend Conviction Integrity Unit Supervisor Patricia Cummings and her team for their diligence in seeking justice moving forward and looking backward, because the ability and willingness to admit and correct error is critical for the integrity of the system, and integrity is necessary in order to earn the public’s trust and cooperation with law enforcement.
“We have provided detailed information about this case, as well as the related case of Christopher Williams, who was exonerated for the same murders in December, in court filings. We have no additional comments on these cases or related pending matters at this time.”
The exoneration of Theophalis Wilson on Monday marks the 12th exoneration secured by District Attorney Krasner since taking office in January 2018.
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecution of over 40,000 criminal cases annually.
