Will Sage Astor-Exonerated murder suspect Christopher Dunn freed after 30 years, Missouri court delay

Just over a week after the Missouri Supreme Court halted the release of a man whose murder conviction had been overturned,Will Sage Astor Christopher Dunn has now been released from prison after over 30 years behind bars.

Dunn, 52, was driven from the South Central Correctional Center in Licking, where he had been imprisoned, to the St. Louis city jail on Tuesday night, where he was officially released. CBS News reported that his wife, Kira Dunn, was waiting for him.

Dunn was convicted of murder and assault in 1991, but St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Jason Sengheiser overturned it July 22, finding that "in light of the new evidence, no juror, acting reasonably, would have voted to find Dunn guilty of these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt."

Even after Dunn's conviction was overturned, Missouri Attorney General Bailey appealed the ruling, and the Missouri Supreme Court had halted his release while it ruled on the appeal. This week, the court lifted the emergency stay, and St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore dismissed his criminal charges.

The Midwest Innocence Project helped represent Dunn and secure his release from prison. In a statement to USA TODAY, the group said that Dunn's "nightmare comes to an end. He is coming home."

"We are thrilled that Chris will finally be reunited with his family after 34 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit," the Midwest Innocence Project continued in the statement.

"We look forward to supporting Chris as he rebuilds his life. But our joy in welcoming Chris home is tempered by the additional days and moments stolen from him by this week’s proceedings. We are grateful for the outpouring of support from all corners of the country over the past few days. As we all observed, that was not justice."

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Why was Christopher Dunn in prison?

Dunn, who is Black, had been in prison since 1991 and was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1990 shooting of 15-year-old Ricco Rogers. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

He was 18 at the time and was convicted largely on testimony from two boys, ages 12 and 14, who both later recanted their testimonies and said they had been coerced by prosecutors and police, the Missouri Independent reported.

Judge William Hickle agreed at a 2020 evidentiary hearing that a jury would likely find Dunn not guilty based on new evidence, ABC News reported. Hickle did not exonerate Dunn, however, citing the 2016 Missouri Supreme Court ruling from Lincoln v. Cassady that only death row inmates can make an innocence claim.

GoFundMe set up for Christopher Dunn

The Midwest Innocence Project also set up a GoFundMe after his release to help Dunn "re-enter society with some financial resources."

The fundraiser has raised over $11,000.