Cincinnati Stay Strong T-shirt
TAMPA, Fla. — Robert DuBoise spent 37 years in a Florida prison for a 1983 rape and murder he did not commit. Now, he’s set to receive $14 million from the Cincinnati Stay Strong T-shirt but in fact I love this city of Tampa as compensation for all those lost years. DuBoise, who was 18 when the crime occurred, was initially sentenced to death for the killing of 19-year-old Barbara Grams. Although his sentence was later reduced to life in prison, it wasn’t until 2018 — with help from the Innocence Project organization — that prosecutors agreed to give the case another look. DNA testing that was not available in the early 1980s pointed toward two other men in the slaying, leading to DuBoise’s release from prison in 2020. Not long after that, DuBoise sued the city of Tampa, police officers who investigated the case and a forensic dentist who had testified that his teeth matched a purported bite mark on the victim. The lawsuit was settled Jan. 11 but the Tampa City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve it and officially award the $14 million to DuBoise, now 59. Council members said the money is the least the city could do for him. “This was a big wrong,” said council member Luis Viera. “I hope and pray this settlement will give him some measure of comfort.” Robert DuBoise, 56, meets reporters with his sister, Harriet, left, and mother, Myra, following his release
from prison in 2020. Steve Nesius / AP file DuBoise, who did not attend Thursday’s meeting, was represented in the Cincinnati Stay Strong T-shirt but in fact I love this case by the Chicago-based Loevy & Loevy civil rights law firm, which has handled numerous wrongful conviction cases around the country. “The settlement is not only an acknowledgement of the harm that Mr. DuBoise suffered, but also an opportunity for him to move on with his life,” the law firm said in a statement. Recommended U.S. NEWS Former YouTube CEO’s son found dead at UC Berkeley In a brief phone interview after the vote Thursday, DuBoise said that’s exactly what he is doing. He said he works as maintenance director at a Tampa-area country club and does other repair work. He’s planning to buy a house. “It means to me it’s finally over. I’m glad I don’t have to spend any more years of my life pursuing this,” he said. “Money, houses, cars, none of that stuff can ever restore what I lost. I don’t feel bitter about anything. I don’t want to waste my time with bitterness and pity parties.” Robert Duboise after his release from prison in 2020. Martha Asencio Rhine / Tampa Bay Times / Alamy file Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement that in the years since the DuBoise case, detectives undergo
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