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Irish American who spent 24-years on death row released after evidence cover-up

Ohio man is set to sue state over false imprisonment

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Saturday, September 8, 2012, 7:11 AM

Updated Saturday, September 8, 2012, 7:40 AM

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Released from death row Michael Keenan

Photo by Google Images

A Cleveland Irish American has been declared innocent, after spending almost a quarter of a century on death row.

In 1988, Michael Keenan was convicted of the stabbing of 19-year-old Tony Klann in a Cleveland Park. Now over two decades later, a judge has dismissed his murder charges.

On Wednesday Cuyahoga County judge John Russo dismissed the aggravated murder count against 62-year-old after he determined that crucial evidence was withheld from his trial attorney.

The judge said the evidence withheld by prosecutors "would have strengthened and been beneficial" to Keenan’s case.

He added that the state’s failure to disclose this evidence "cannot be resolved by a new trial," according the Associated Press.

The attorney of the accused, John Hildebrand, said his client was "obviously thrilled" with the judge's ruling.

"It's unfortunate that he had to spend that time on death row," Hildebrand said. "A lot of money was spent to keep him there because prosecutors concealed evidence."

Keenan had been convicted twice for the killing of teenager Tony Klann. His first conviction was overturned by the Ohio Supreme Court after they determined prosecutorial misconduct. However he was convicted again in 1994.

Joe D'Ambrosio was also been convicted of murdering the teenager, but a priest who befriended D'Ambrosio uncovered evidence that helped the men prove their innocence.

D'Ambrosio was freed in 2010 by a judge who concluded the evidence could have exonerated him.

Keenan’s attorney said his client was considering suing the state over wrongful imprisonment.

Nster.com

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mayoman | Sep 10, 2012, 11:51 AM EDT

The prosecution is guilty of not only withholding evidence that resulted in the conviction of an innocent man, but the DA also allowed the actual guilty party to get away. This a complete corruption of justice. Perhaps the DA should be criminally charged and tried.

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rpbrown | Sep 10, 2012, 09:48 AM EDT

And it fascinates me that so many people who are so violently opposed to abortion are big fans of the death penalty (and war too usually). Interesting....

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angrypaddy | Sep 09, 2012, 12:31 AM EDT

It was the drinks fault!!!

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SingleDonald | Sep 08, 2012, 08:26 PM EDT

I support organizations like the "Innocence Project". It has gotten many falsely convicted people out of prison. Remember an old movie, "Boomerang" (1947)? A decent District Attorney sees that a man accused of killing a priest is innocent, and he goes after the real killer.

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ProudCanadian | Sep 08, 2012, 04:32 PM EDT

Another argument against the death penalty. The most unjust thing ever invented by man. Who gave these people the right to play God anyway? PhlutiePhan we have already heard the other side, they screw up.

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WoundedKnee | Sep 08, 2012, 02:55 PM EDT

We won't get true justice in cases like these until the Prosecutors who cook the evidence get to spend an equal spell in the pen.

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PhlutiePhan | Sep 08, 2012, 12:43 PM EDT

Let's hear the other side of the argument as well.

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jamthecat | Sep 08, 2012, 12:41 PM EDT

Good thing this wasn't Texas. He'd be dead, already, and the fact that the state's already executed two men who've been shown to be innocent of any crime would make no difference. And that's even after the lies and manipulation of evidence by prosecutors and cops that have been revealed all over the state. As one Texas twit said, "It takes a lot of guts to execute someone who's innocent." He's wrong; it's actually cowardice; but that's the way they think, down there...which is why I no longer live in the state.

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handsome68 | Sep 08, 2012, 11:56 AM EDT

Back in the 1960s, I worked briefly with Isadore Zimmerman, who later wrote a book called "Punishment Without Crime." "Issy", as he wrote it himself, had spent 24 years in prison for a crime for which he was finally exonerated. He received a lump sum of $660,000 in compensation, much less than he had (expected), and died, well, disappointed, a couple of years later at age 66. We have had far too many such "rush(es) to justice" cases like that of Issy. I hope that Mr. Keenan and his family will rise like a phoenix from his experience.

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Searlit | Sep 08, 2012, 10:41 AM EDT

Don't get me started on how corrupt and unfair the 'legal system' is. I do think that their should be separate prisons for violent crimes and no parole for anyone who commits murder, though.

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hermitTalker | Sep 08, 2012, 10:21 AM EDT

Apart from God being the Lord of Life, the temptation to corruption of the US system of justice, with prosecutors who are elected, is wide open. End the death penalty, extraordinary excessive sentences and offer equal justice to the wealthy, same as the injustice given to the poor at present.

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Seanmor | Sep 08, 2012, 09:13 AM EDT

Michael Keenan seems to be the victim of a gross violation of justice. Thank God he is finally 'acquitted'. I once saw a film in which a defence attorney said: "Our legal system is not about justice; it is about winning", and 'winning' was the prosecution's goal in the Keenan case.

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