Man serving 400 years in jail exonerated and freed after 34 years

A Florida man serving 400 years in prison for armed robbery walked out of jail Monday, March 13, after a judge vacated.

The judge freed him based on new findings that the case against him was deeply flawed. The 57-year-old, Sidney Holmes spent more than 34 years in prison for a 1988 carjacking near Fort Lauderdale.

In 2020, Holmes contacted the Broward State Attorney’s Office Conviction Review Unit to say he was factually innocent.

Prosecutors now firmly believe he didn’t do it, citing a flawed focus on his vehicle, a witness identification process rife with bias, and a solid alibi.

“The State Attorney’s Office would not charge him today based on these facts,” the Broward County prosecutor’s office said in a statement Monday.

“I never would give up hope. I knew this day was going to come sooner or later, and today is the day”, Homes told reporters.