Wrongfully convicted Francisco Benitez released after 3 decades in prison
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A wrongfully convicted man left the Cook County Jail Tuesday after 34 years behind bars.
Francisco Benitez, 52, claimed Chicago police framed him. On Tuesday, his murder conviction was tossed out by a judge.
As CBS 2's Shardaa Gray reported, Benitez's family showed up for a court hearing, and as you can imagine, they were elated after hearing the judge say he could go back home to his family.
There were a lot of hugs and a lot of tears.
He will be released on a no-cash bond with a few conditions, such as wearing a monitor device. When he was 18, he was convicted of the 1989 murder of two teenagers but has said he was innocent all these years.
A hearing was held in April, and evidence was presented supporting his exoneration. Two eyewitnesses now say they saw who actually committed the murders. It wasn't Benitez.
He said he was framed by CPD detectives who worked out of Area 5.
"I always knew he was innocent because I was there. So, I always knew he was innocent. I just never believed it would take this long," said Benitez's friend John Mercado.
Benitez walked out of the Cook County Jail Tuesday evening.
When asked how he would describe freedom after leaving the jail, Benitez said, "It's indescribable."
Benitez's mother said one of the first things were going to do after he got out, besides hugs and kisses, is to grab a hot dog from Jimmy's Red Hots at Pulaski Road and Grand Avenue.
Benitez was released on a personal recognizance bond and will remain on electronic monitoring. He still faces murder charges because prosecutors have not yet dropped the case.
