Minn. Man Released From Prison For 1979 Murder Speaks Out
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A man once locked up for murder spoke out Friday afternoon.
Terry Olson had been behind bars for more than a decade for a crime he says he didn't commit. A jury sent him to prison for killing Jeffrey Hammill near Buffalo in 1979.
A witness pinned it on Olson, but later recanted. Olson always maintained his innocence. Some investigators later came to believe that a farmer had unknowingly hit Hammill along a road.
Olson left prison two days ago as part of a deal. On Friday, he said he doesn't know what would have happened without his family's support.
"Being locked up for a crime that you didn't commit is excruciatingly painful and lonely," he said. "I realize there's mistakes that are made in the judicial system. It's disappointing that it's still excruciatingly hard to correct those mistakes."
Olson's conviction was not overturned. He said he does not need an apology. The Innocence Project of Minnesota helped him win his freedom.
Olson said he's now looking forward to fishing and riding a Harley.
