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A Philadelphia man who was exonerated after serving 24 years in prison for a murder conviction as part of a $4.1 million settlement is heading back to prison in relation to a separate killing.
Shaurn Thomas, 50, pleaded guilty to the 2023 slaying of Akeem Edwards, 38, as well as conspiracy, illegal gun possession and other crimes, last Thursday (December 5), the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Thomas, who was given a life sentence after being convicted of murder in 1992 and freed after it was overturned in 2017, reportedly gunned down Edwards after the latter failed to pay out $1,200 for a cocaine sale.
The overseeing judge was reportedly stunned to hear that Thomas, now a multi-millionaire from a settlement reached after spending nearly half his life in prison, would be willing to risk incarceration over the reported amount of cash.
"Yes, Your Honor," Thomas replied to the judge.
Edwards' family told the Inquirer that they hope Thomas is given a life sentence ahead of his sentencing scheduled for February.
“There’s not enough time for them to possibly give him,” said Tyeisha Marshall, Edwards’ sister.
Thomas was sentenced to life in prison for the later overturned second-degree murder conviction when he was just 20 years old in relation to the shooting death of a North Philadelphia businessman during a robbery incident in 1990. A judge vacated Thomas' previous conviction in 2017 due to various investigation issues, which included failure to verify his alleged alibi, as well as interrogation tactics involving alleged co-conspirators that were later unearthed prior to the exoneration.
Prosecutors said they weren't 100% convinced that Thomas was completely innocent in relation to the 1990 incident, but declined to retry the case, according to the Inquirer.