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BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man who spent 23 years in prison for a murder he did not commit may receive compensation from the state.
Jeffrey Abramowski was found guilty of killing 78-year-old Cortney Crandell at a mobile home park in Melbourne in 2002. But advanced DNA testing led to his conviction being overturned and him being released from prison last year.
A judge has recommended that Abramowski be compensated for the time spent behind bars. Under state law, Abramowski could receive $50,000 for every year of imprisonment, which would be about $1.1 million.
The recommendation has been sent to a circuit court judge for final approval.
The backstory:
Abramowski was accused of beating Cortney Crandell to death with a hammer and an iron at a Melbourne mobile home park.
In 2006, Abramowski was convicted of Crandell’s murder and sentenced to life in prison.
His case was recently reopened when new DNA evidence was made available.
In July, the charges were dropped against him, and he was released from prison.
"You’re not truly a free man if you’re out there with all that pent-up [anger] in your heart," Abramowski said last year. "So, I’m learning to just do the right thing and move on."
The Source: This story was written with information gathered from court records and previous FOX 35 reporting.