Tears of joy for Va. family as man pardoned after 29 years
Kirsten Lambertsen
Tears of joy for Va. family as man pardoned after 29 years (Image 1) (Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A wrongly convicted Virginia man's family shed tears of joy upon learning that he received a pardon from the governor after 29 years in prison.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe granted the full pardon Wednesday to 58-year-old Michael Kenneth McAlister, who was convicted of attempted rape based on mistaken identification by the victim. Authorities say the real perpetrator is a serial rapist who's serving three life terms in prison.
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McAlister's sister, Denise Haas, says family members cried happy tears when they learned about the decision on a conference call with McAlister's lawyers. She said the family is looking forward to making up for missed time with McAlister after he's released.
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