A Cook County judge tossed the conviction against an Illinois man that has kept him behind bars for over 30 years. Christopher Abernathy was freed Wednesday after being found guilty for the 1984 rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Park Forest, Illinois. Abernathy was convicted when he himself was a teenager. The judge exonerated him following a request from Cook County prosecutor, Anita Alvarez, who said there was “newly developed evidence” supporting Abernathy's innocence. "This is more than 10,000 days overdue," said Abernathy's mother, Ann Kolus.
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