Exonerated after 19 years - Support Marvin Haynes!

After spending nearly 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Marvin Haynes has been exonerated! Donate now to help Marvin start his life anew after wrongful incarceration.

Mr. Haynes' lawyers from the Great North Innocence Project shared the news that his conviction was to be vacated with him over the phone on December 6, Mr. Haynes’ 36th birthday, the last birthday Mr. Haynes will spend behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

“I want to thank the Great North Innocence Project, Julie Jonas, my family and friends, and everyone who supported me through this long journey," said Mr. Haynes.

Exonerated after nearly two decades

On December 11, 2023, The Hennepin County District Court granted Mr. Haynes’ Petition for Post-Conviction Relief based on the claim that he was denied his right to due process because his conviction relied on constitutionally defective eyewitness evidence. Mr. Haynes was represented by a team of attorneys from the Great North Innocence Project (GNIP).

In an order signed by Hennepin County District Court Judge William H. Koch, the Court held “that absent introduction of the unconstitutional eyewitness identification evidence, it is doubtful there would have been sufficient evidence to sustain a conviction.” The HCAO agreed to vacate Mr. Haynes’ conviction after a November evidentiary hearing during which GNIP attorneys presented evidence showing that the identification procedures used to convict Mr. Haynes were inconsistent with best practices and unnecessarily suggestive. The State agreed that “the interests of justice would be served by dismissing with prejudice all charges.” In the order, Judge Koch also noted that “there was no physical evidence linking [Mr. Haynes] to the crime scene.”

Mr. Haynes was just 16 years old when he was charged with first-degree murder in a robbery turned homicide at a North Minneapolis flower shop in 2004.

About the decision, Mr. Haynes' attorney Andrew Markquart said, “We are delighted to see Marvin finally regain his freedom and for the truth of his innocence to win out. We are thankful to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for recognizing the strength of Marvin's claim and for demonstrating the most noble ideals of the prosecutor in recognizing past errors and prioritizing justice as the highest value.”

Attorney Anna McGinn added, “We are overjoyed to welcome Marvin home today. Marvin has spent more than half of his life in prison for a crime he did not commit. His strength and perseverance have brought him the justice he deserves, and should inspire us all.”

Mr. Haynes’ family never wavered in their support for Mr. Haynes or in their belief in his innocence and are thrilled to welcome him home. They hope that his case will inspire change to improve the justice system more broadly. In particular, his sisters Lakisha, Sherita, Marvina, Marquita, and Cynthia have been vocal advocates for his exoneration.

In response to the news of her brother’s release, Marvina Haynes encouraged people to “imagine a world where the judicial system works fairly for everyone.”