ROME, Ga. – Two Georgia males might be dwelling for Christmas for the primary time in 1 / 4 of a century after a podcast uncovered their homicide convictions had been based mostly on manufactured proof.

Pictures shared by the Georgia Innocence Mission present a Floyd County court docket bailiff unlocking {the handcuffs} of Darrell Lee Clark for the final time Thursday, as his father seemed on with tears in his eyes. He and Cain Joshua Storey had been each 17-years-old once they had been arrested for the 1996 capturing loss of life of 15-year-old Brian Bowling.

“You by no means suppose one thing like that’s going to occur to you,” mentioned Lee Clark. “By no means would I’ve thought I’d spend greater than half my life in jail, particularly for one thing I didn’t do. I am simply glad the reality lastly got here to gentle after 25 years. I am so grateful for the Georgia Innocence Mission and Proof Podcast for what they did. With out them, I’d nonetheless be in jail.”

“I have been ready on today for an extended, very long time, and I am unable to start to thank everybody who has supported us. With out y’all, we would not have made it,” mentioned Darrell’s father, Glen. “Whereas right now is a day of celebration for us, I additionally wish to let the Bowling household understand how heavy our hearts are for them, and for what occurred. There aren’t any onerous emotions; we love them.”

A sport of Russian roulette or a revenge homicide?

For Brian Bowling, Oct. 18, 1996 was simply one other typical Friday evening for a young person in Rome. He was sitting on his mattress in his father or mother’s trailer dwelling, hanging out along with his greatest pal, Cain Storey, whereas speaking on the cellphone to his girlfriend. He didn’t know the harmful sport he instructed his girlfriend he was enjoying could be his final.

Round 9:30 p.m., Bowling would pull the set off of a gun he and Storey purchased collectively, sending a bullet by his cranium.

Freaked out by simply witnessing his greatest pal kill himself, Storey would make a number of statements of remorse over the sport of Russian roulette to these arriving on the scene. He would later make clear to investigators he was expressing regret for his pal’s loss of life and survivor’s guilt, however for investigators, the seed of suspicion was planted in that first hour.

Whereas investigators initially believed Storey’s account, he was nonetheless charged with manslaughter.

Seven months after his arrest, investigators had been again out on the trailer park canvassing the neighborhood for extra witnesses. They got here throughout resident Angela Bruce, who investigators mentioned painted a a lot completely different image of occasions.

Bruce instructed investigators Storey and Clark got here to a celebration she had hosted a couple of months after the capturing. Investigators say she claimed the pair instructed her that they had plotted to homicide Bowling utilizing his girlfriend as a distraction. Investigators say she then mentioned the pair put a pillow over Bowling’s head and shot him. The motive, in keeping with police, was that Bowling knew an excessive amount of a few prior theft the pair had dedicated. She reportedly instructed investigators Clark admitted to her that he was there that evening, however didn’t shoot Bowling.

Darrell Lee Clark (Georgia Division of Corrections)

Inside two weeks, Storey’s prices had been upgraded to homicide and Clark could be arrested as his co-conspirator.

Investigators would additionally converse to a listening to and speech-impaired man who was dwelling on the Bowling dwelling. Investigators declare Charlie Childers recognized Clark from a photograph lineup after reporting that he noticed somebody working by the yard that evening. Nobody else on the dwelling noticed it.

Prosecutors paint a conspiracy principle throughout the homicide trial

The gang referred to as the “Free Birds” have a rule, prosecutors instructed jurors, that anybody who snitches to police have to be executed. That’s the premise the state gave for why Storey and Clark killed Bowling.

Through the trial, prosecutors relied closely on Bruce’s testimony to color that tableaux of conspiracy and homicide. Bowling had supposedly instructed police in regards to the theft of a protected containing greater than $3,000. One drawback with the image was Storey had beforehand spoken to police implementing himself and Clark in crime.

Charlie Childers, who claimed to have seen Clark that evening, had hassle speaking in court docket. He didn’t use American Signal Language or some other acknowledged signing techniques. He frequently mentioned Storey’s identify when describing occasions. He did point out a “Darrell” throughout his testimony that the interpreter concluded was Clark.

On cross-examination, Childers described a “Black boy” with “black hair” who had a spouse. Clark, who goes by his center identify Lee, is white, single, with brown hair. Childers additionally gave police details about Storey and that he “don’t find out about Darrell.”

No post-mortem was carried out on Bowling’s physique, so the state relied on the county coroner, who had no former medical coaching. He instructed jurors the gun needed to be a foot to a foot-and-a-half from the physique when fired as a result of there have been no powder burns. He mentioned he had a “intestine feeling” it was not a self-inflicted wound.

Nevertheless, upon cross-examination, the protection famous numerous the coroner’s testimony discussing blood spatter and markings on the physique had been in line with a self-inflicted capturing, which is what Storey had initially instructed police.

A neurosurgeon referred to as by the State mentioned that bullet’s path was uncommon, however {that a} self-inflicted wound couldn’t be dominated out. It was additionally disclosed there was no powder residue on Storey’s arms following the lethal capturing.

Clark instructed jurors he had an alibi for that evening, along with his legal professional calling two witnesses to the stand to assist his declare.

Regardless of the proof, the 2 had been convicted of homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide after the week-long trial. They had been each sentenced to life in jail.

Podcasters uncover new proof in loss of life of Brian Bowling

Regardless of a number of failed enchantment makes an attempt, the case would start to be seen in new gentle in 2021, when Susan Simpson and Jacinda Davis started digging into the main points of the case of their Proof podcast.

The pair started by making contact with Charlie Childers. Using a former instructor of Childers on the Georgia College for the Deaf, the pair discovered that Childers by no means communicated to police that he noticed Clark that evening and most of his testimony throughout the trial was a few crime he witnessed a decade earlier.

Childers would go on to clarify that he didn’t know what Clark or Storey did or why that they had gone to jail. When proven an image of Storey, he instructed the podcasters that he had by no means seen him within the trailer park. He additionally mentioned he by no means picked Clark out of picture lineup as an investigator testified.

When Simpson and Davis approached Angela Bruce, she instantly recanted her testimony. She instructed the podcasters she had testified as she did as a result of she was attempting to guard her household. She described how the identical investigator who Childers mentioned faked the lineup had additionally threatened her. She mentioned the investigators had approached her for sexual favors and had threatened to name DFCS to come back take her youngsters away.

The podcasters additionally had been capable of finding a witness who corroborated Bruce’s worry of retaliation by police.

Floyd County males freed after podcast reveals new proof

Thursday’s listening to for Clark was the fruits of the efforts Simpson and Davis in addition to the Georgia Innocence Mission during the last two years.

Senior Legal professional Christina Cribbs and Accountability Counsel Meagan Hurley had been capable of persuade the district legal professional and a superior court docket choose that the proof wanted to be re-examined. In the long run, Clark was exonerated of all prices.

“We’re elated to see Lee and his household lastly get hold of the justice that’s so lengthy overdue. This might not have been potential with out the Bowling household’s assist and a district legal professional’s workplace that was keen to take an goal, new have a look at an previous case,” mentioned Cribbs. “The Bowling household suffered an awesome loss when Brian died. Their energy, open minds, willingness to query data that has been offered as ‘truth,’ and quest for the reality is inspiring.”

“Official misconduct was actually a contributing consider Lee’s case, simply because it has been in over 50% of wrongful conviction circumstances. What we should always take away from that is that unfettered energy, with out correct checks and balances, leaves ripe the chance for errors and misconduct. Correct oversight, coupled with instructional initiatives designed to stop and proper wrongful convictions, is vital,” mentioned Hurley. “Prosecutors have an obligation to see that justice is completed of their circumstances, and that should embrace a dedication to ideas of integrity, fairness, and accountability. It’s crucial that they’re keen to take corrective motion once they see injustice, together with when the injustice is perpetrated by police.”

Georgia is one in all 12 states that doesn’t have a statutory compensation regulation to offer monetary assist for these wrongly convicted. An internet fundraiser has been arrange for him to attempt to assist him start his life once more.

As for Storey, his prices had been lowered again to the unique manslaughter cost and was given 10 years with credit score for time served. The choose commenting “clearly, that’s been served in full.” His conviction might be formally wiped from his report underneath Georgia’s First Offender Act.

Each males will spend Christmas as free males for the primary time in 25 years.