Stephen Lazar was exonerated and released on March 23. He spent 15 years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit.
The case against Mr. Lazar was based on three discredited sources of evidence: a suitcase found unweathered in the victim’s backyard three and a half months after the crime, the statements of several individuals with substance addictions and pending criminal cases, all of whom the district court noted had “severe credibility problems,” and a purported confession given after over 30 hours of questioning while Mr. Lazar was in acute withdrawal from methadone. Lazar v. A.G., et al., CV 14-6907, 2023 WL 2382812, at 25 (E.D. Pa. Mar. 6, 2023). Each prong of the case has been thoroughly undermined by newly disclosed evidence.
Mr. Lazar always steadfastly maintained his innocence and diligently sought to overturn his wrongful conviction. Immediately after the jury announced its verdict in 2010, Mr. Lazar told the court and the victim’s family: “I’m sorry for your family, but I’m not the person that killed your father. . . I want to say I’m innocent.” N.T. 5/11/10, at 147-148.
In the many years he spent wrongfully behind bars, Mr. Lazar did not incur a single disciplinary infraction. His dedication to proving his innocence led him to the prison’s law library where he was employed for over a decade. While incarcerated, he pursued college courses through Pittsburgh and West Virginia Universities. Mr. Lazar’s family and his community of supporters stood by him since his arrest and are thrilled to welcome him home.
key Case documents:
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Order Vacating Conviction
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Opinion Granting Relief
Commonwealth’s Answer Conceding Error