Wrongfully convicted Philadelphia man reunited with family after 44 years in prison
PHILADELPHIA - After spending 44 years behind bars for a crime he says he never committed, a Philadelphia man is finally free and back home with his family.
William Franklin, who is now 77 years old, was convicted of murdering a man in a poolroom in the city's Brewerytown neighborhood in 1976.
He says jailhouse informants incorrectly identified him as the prime suspect, who police say was "let go" in exchange for drugs and sex.
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With smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes, family surrounded Franklin as he experienced his first taste of freedom since 1980.
"I forget that they're grown," Franklin said about his now adult daughters.
Franklin is now in the process of having his case dropped by the City of Philadelphia.