Speed Reads

Capital Punishment

Innocent man released after 31 years on death row

North Carolina authorities on Wednesday released Henry Lee McCollum from prison, after his conviction for the 1983 murder and rape of a child was overturned. McCollum had spent 31 years on death row, where he "was never allowed to open a door, turn on the light switch, or use a zipper," according to The New York Times.

Leon Brown, McCollum's half-brother, was also released. Brown, too, had been wrongly convicted in the case, but had been serving a life sentence.

"You’ve still got innocent people on North Carolina death row," McCollum, who is mentally disabled, told reporters outside the prison. "Also you’ve got some guys who should not have gotten the death penalty. That’s wrong. You got to do something about those guys."