Michigan Man Freed and Awarded $1.75 Million After Spending 35 Years Wrongfully Convicted of Sexual Assault

A Michigan man who lost more than three decades of his life to a wrongful conviction has received a $1.75 million settlement from the State of Michigan, bringing renewed attention to the devastating consequences of false confessions, flawed investigations, and failures in the criminal justice system.

Louis Wright, now exonerated, spent over 35 years in prison for a sexual assault he did not commit. His case stands as a stark example of how unreliable evidence and coercive interrogation practices can lead to irreversible harm.

The 1988 Albion Sexual Assault Case

In the early morning hours of January 18, 1988, an 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted after a man broke into her home in Albion, Michigan. The victim was taken to the hospital, where a sexual assault kit was prepared. Despite the seriousness of the crime, investigators failed to conduct basic identification procedures that could have protected the integrity of the case.

Later that day, an off-duty Albion police officer reported seeing 29-year-old Louis Wright standing in front of his house several hours before the assault. Wright lived roughly a half-mile away. Based largely on this sighting, police focused their investigation on Wright.

Arrest Based on an Unrecorded Confession

Wright voluntarily came to the police station for questioning and was arrested the same day. Authorities claimed Wright confessed to the crime, but there was no recording, no written confession, and no corroborating physical evidence. Wright later testified that investigators promised leniency and threatened him if he did not confess—allegations the detective denied.

Critically, the child victim was never asked to identify Wright in a lineup or photo array, a fundamental investigative step in sexual assault cases.

Forensic Evidence Excluded Wright

Michigan State Police crime laboratory reports provided exculpatory evidence that contradicted police conclusions. While officers claimed Wright’s boots matched footprints found outside the victim’s home, lab analysis concluded the prints could not have been made by his boots.

Additionally, a fingerprint recovered from a telephone base touched by the attacker excluded Wright as the source. Despite this evidence, the case moved forward.

No Contest Plea and Decades of Incarceration

After a judge denied a motion to suppress Wright’s alleged confession, he entered a no contest plea to charges of criminal sexual conduct and breaking and entering. Although the plea allowed him to maintain his innocence, it acknowledged the prosecution had enough evidence to convict.

At sentencing, Wright attempted to withdraw the plea, stating he was innocent and that the sentence would amount to a “death sentence.” The court denied his request and sentenced him to 25 to 50 years in prison.

Innocence Project and DNA Testing Lead to Exoneration

In 2021, the Cooley Law School Innocence Project began reinvestigating Wright’s case as part of a federally funded initiative targeting wrongful convictions involving unreliable forensic evidence. Working with the Michigan Attorney General’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), DNA testing was performed on the original sexual assault kit.

The results conclusively excluded Wright as the source of the biological evidence.

On November 3, 2023, Wright was released on bond after more than 35 years behind bars. Days later, prosecutors agreed to vacate and dismiss his convictions, stating there was clear and convincing evidence of his innocence.

$1.75 Million Wrongful Conviction Settlement

Under Michigan law, wrongfully convicted individuals are eligible to receive $50,000 for each year they were unjustly incarcerated. In January 2024, the state awarded Wright $1.75 million in compensation.

Since his release, Wright has focused on reuniting with family and rebuilding his life. He has said he plans to use part of the settlement to purchase a home and a vehicle for his sister. He has also filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the detective involved in his interrogation.

A Powerful Reminder of Systemic Failures

Louis Wright’s case underscores the dangers of false confessions, investigative tunnel vision, and the failure to properly evaluate forensic evidence. It also highlights the vital role innocence projects and conviction integrity units play in uncovering the truth—often decades too late.

Wrongful conviction cases like this serve as a sobering reminder that accountability, transparency, and reform remain essential to ensuring justice is not only pursued, but achieved.

Source: WXMI News