One of two men who spent 30 years behind bars for a wrongful conviction has reached a settlement with the Town of New Milford. The town council approved a $2.5 million settlement with Shawn Henning at a special meeting on Tuesday night.
Henning was 17 years old when he and his friend Ricky Birch went to prison for the gruesome murder of 65-year-old Everett Carr.
In 2019, a state supreme court judge overturned their convictions, in part because forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee gave false testimony about bloodstains on a towel.
Last year, Henning and Birch reached a $25.2 million settlement with the state.
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Elliot Spector, attorney for the town, told NBC Connecticut it was a reasonable settlement based on potential risks, and all parties involved are glad to put this behind them.
Birch’s case against New Milford is set to go to trial in March.
Our team spoke with both men for our documentary "Traces Of Doubt - The Forensics of Dr. Henry Lee."
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