PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon man whose 2011 manslaughter conviction was overturned by a judge in November is now a free man.
Nicholas McGuffin was released from prison Tuesday night. He maintained his innocence in the death of Leah Freeman, who was 15 when she disappeared from her hometown of Coquille, Oregon, in 2000. Her body was found in the woods five weeks later.
"There was no evidence against him. He just happened to be her boyfriend at the time," McGuffin’s attorney, Janis Puracal told Oregon Public Broadcasting. "There were no eyewitnesses, there was no DNA connecting him to the crime, and there was no other evidence that tied him to anything that happened to her."
Malheur County Circuit Judge Patricia Sullivan said in her ruling that the Oregon State Police lab violated McGuffin's constitutional rights by failing to disclose the DNA evidence. OPB reported the lab found DNA on Freeman's shoes that was connected to another unknown man.
"Review of the results show that unknown male DNA was found on both shoes, not belonging to Petitioner [McGuffin], and those results were known in 2001 and 2002 when the reports were generated," Malheur County Circuit Court Judge Patricia Sullivan said in her ruling.
According to OPB, analysts didn't disclose the information because of an internal policy at the time. But Sullivan said that the internal policy at the time of the investigation (in 2001 and 2002) was no longer the standard when the case went to trial (in 2011).
“We are delighted that Nick McGuffin is being freed now that his conviction for manslaughter has been overturned and that there will be no appeal from the State or retrial,” said a statement from Steve Wax, Legal Director of the Oregon Innocence Project. "We wish Nick every future happiness as he is reunited with his family and friends."
The Oregon Innocence Project worked on McGuffin’s case for five years. McGuffin is the second person whose conviction was overturned with help from the Oregon Innocence Project.