Massachusetts Black Man Freed After 28 Years As Prosecutors Admit Police Framed Him

Rickey “Fuquan” McGee, a Black man convicted of murdering a Boston convenience store clerk in 1998, was released from prison this month after spending 28 years incarcerated. Prosecutors informed a Suffolk County Superior Court judge that McGee had not received a fair trial, warranting a new one.At just 19, McGee was accused of murdering Geta Yalew, an Ethiopian immigrant, execution-style while robbing the store. Despite the lack of substantial evidence, two individuals claimed McGee confessed to the crime.His defense maintained that the prosecution relied on unreliable testimonies. Over the years, McGee engaged in legal studies and activism, co-founding the Harriet Tubman Project to support wrongly convicted inmates.Following an investigation by the Innocence Project, new evidence emerged alleging witness tampering. This led McGee to seek a new trial. The Suffolk County DA later concurred that multiple factors indicated a significant risk of injustice in his case, ultimately requesting the charges be dropped. Now, McGee hopes to fully clear his name while advocating for others.