Former Philadelphia homicide detective sentenced to over 2 years in connection with a wrongful murder conviction
A former Philadelphia homicide detective, convicted of lying under oath, was sentenced to prison, the district attorney's office announced on Tuesday.
James Pitts was sentenced Friday on a perjury conviction to serve at least 2 and a half years.
The DA said the amount of damage caused by this former cop was "unmeasurably large."
In the fall of 2010, Philadelphia Police were working on the murder case of jeweler William Glatz of Northeast Philadelphia. Glatz and one of two robbers were killed in a shootout following an attempted robbery.
Detectives identified Obina Onyiah as a suspect.
At a news conference Tuesday, prosecutors played jailhouse phone calls in which Onyiah said he was beaten by a detective.
"They were hitting me and everything," said Onyiah on a phone call in 2010. "I didn't know what to do, I wasn't thinking straight."
"I was scared," said Onyiah on a phone call in 2010 to his mom. "I was fighting for my life."
"I know you were scared," his mom said.
Prosecutors said Pitts had a reputation for conducting illegal interrogations.
A jury convicted him last summer of perjury for lying on the stand about how he obtained Onyiah's confession.
"Confession was coerced, by means of brutal methods, and then Pitts lied about it under oath in court," District Attorney Larry Krasner said.
Police said a jailhouse informant tipped them off that Onyiah was involved in the murder. However, there were problems with the evidence. Eyewitnesses said the shooter was about 5 feet, 8 inches. Onyiah is 6 feet, 3 inches.
"Mr. Onyiah was convicted of a murder he didn't commit and sentenced to the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole," said Assistant District Attorney Michael Garmisa.
A court has since vacated his conviction after he spent 11 years in prison.
The DA said Pitt's conviction should spotlight honest police work.
"They're going to celebrate how this lifts up all the good cops because it knocks down one of the really bad ones," Krasner said.
Philadelphia Police are still looking for the real shooter in Glatz's murder.
The police department declined to comment.
