SUMMARY

On November 16, 1992, 16-year-old Shaharain Brandon was fatally shot in Chicago. Roosevelt “Blue” Myles was later convicted of the murder based primarily on the testimony of Octavius Morris, who identified him as the gunman after repeated police visits and alleged coercion, despite initially describing the shooter as a light-skinned teenager. No physical evidence linked Mr. Myles to the crime.

In 1996, Mr. Myles was sentenced to 60 years in prison. Over the next two decades, he pursued post-conviction relief, asserting that his trial attorney had failed to call alibi witnesses and that police misconduct had coerced false identifications. Evidence showed that the detectives involved had a history of manipulating witnesses and falsifying reports. Morris later signed an affidavit confirming she had testified falsely.

In 2020, Mr. Myles was released on parole, and on December 5, 2022, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office requested his conviction be vacated. The motion was granted, the prosecution dismissed the case, and Mr. Myles’s nearly 27-year wrongful incarceration came to an end. In 2023, he filed a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking compensation.