Longest-serving wrongfully convicted inmate in California is set free after 36 years - and his wife has his favorite pair of boots waiting
- Michael Hanline was serving life without parole for killing J.T. McGarry
- New DNA testing proved his innocence
- He was set free on Monday after 36 years behind bars
The longest-serving wrongfully convicted inmate in California has been set free after DNA testing proved his innocence.
Michael Hanline, 68, was found guilty of shooting dead motorcyclist J.T. McGarry in 1978 and jailed for life without the possibility of parole.
However, on Monday, following a 36-year battle to clear his name, Hanline stepped out of Ventura County Jail into the sunlight to be greeted by his wife, Sandee.
Free man: Inmate Michael Hanline, 68, walks outside with his wife Sandee after being released from Ventura County jail - he is the longest-serving wrongfully convicted inmate in California
The last time he was a free man, Jimmy Carter was President and cell phone networks did not exist.
When asked how he was feeling, Hanline told the LA Times: 'A rush of emotions; it's been a long time.'
Holding his wife's hand and blinking in the daylight, he said he was 'ecstatic' to be going home with her and called her his 'rock'.
Mrs Hanline sat waiting for her husband with his favorite pair of cowboy boots, which she had kept clean for the past three decades.
Long time coming: Mrs Hanline greeted her husband with his favorite pair of cowboy boots, which she had kept clean for the past three decades
Reunited: Holding his wife's hand and blinking in the sunlight, Hanline said he was 'ecstatic' to be going home with her and called her his 'rock'
40 years ago: This 1974 photo shows Michael Hanline with his then girlfriend and now wife, Sandee
But he was unable to wear them due to a GPS tracking device around his ankle, which he must wear until a possible retrial.
He has also been ordered to not contact prosecutors, detectives or the family of the victim.
Hanline was convicted of first-degree murder in 1980 for the killing of McGarry - also known as Mike Mathers.
McGarry, who had ties to a motorcycle gang, disappeared from his home in November 10, 1978, and a few days later, his bullet-riddled body was found near a road some 30 miles away.
Hanline was arrested after an investigation lasting a few weeks.
His case was taken up by the California Innocence Project in 1999, whose lawyers persuaded prosecutors to re-examine the evidence.
Subsequent testing showed DNA found at the crime scene did not come from Hanline or his alleged accomplice.
In addition, prosecutors withheld evidence that should have been disclosed to Hanline's legal team during the trial.
The reports also cast doubt on a testimony by Hanline’s then-girlfriend, Mary Bischoff, who was granted immunity and was a key witness throughout.
She was found to be under the influence of drugs when she testified against him.
Ready to leave: Michael Hanline, 68, was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1980 over the death of JT McGarry but new DNA evidence has come to light that put his original conviction in doubt
Life behind bars: Hanline waits in a cell during a hearing at Superior Court in Ventura, California
While prosecutors have not concluded Hanline is innocent, 'We don't have confidence in the conviction at this point,' prosecutor Michael D. Schwartz said.
The California Innocence Project says Hanline's case was the longest wrongful incarceration in state history.
A photograph provided by the project shows Hanline and his wife after his release.
He wore a dark sweatshirt with the image of a California license plate and the letters 'XONR8,' representing the word 'exonerate.'
He also held a cane in one hand, with his wife's palm firmly in the other.
In a statement released through the Innocence Project, Hanline thanked his attorneys and prosecutors, and expressed a level of disbelief.
'I've watched half my life go by behind bars. I always hoped this day would come, but I can't believe that it's happening today,' Hanline said.
Prosecutors in Ventura County will decide whether they want a retrial at a hearing scheduled for February 27.
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