New Jersey Man Cleared of 2012 Murder After Video Evidence Confirms Alibi
Video evidence cleared a New Jersey man who spent almost 11 years in jail for a fake murder.
Olajuwan Herbert, 35, from Newark was serving life for shooting 28-year-old Harold Claudio in 2012. The verdict came in 2015. A retrial acquitted Herbert of murder and weapons.
Herbert’s lawyer, Olubukola Adetula, said surveillance footage of his flat during the event was the most important proof of his innocence. He appears around 8:42 p.m., 25 minutes before the incident. At the 2012 inquiry, police showed Herbert’s girlfriend this DVD, and she recognized him, Adetula claimed.
The Thomas Street shooting in Newark’s South Ironbound neighborhood happened on June 9, 2012. Police said a gunman approached the victim and shot him numerous times, including in the back of the head. At his first trial, two witnesses who knew the victim testified Herbert was the gunman, but prosecutors uncovered no reason.
Herbert maintained his innocence throughout trial. He refused plea deals and asserted innocence. Adetula said Herbert would prove his innocence at retrial.
Herbert’s aims changed after his release. Adetula says Herbert wants to be a lawyer to help unfairly convicted people and the criminal justice system.
Life sentences in New Jersey can mean 75 years in jail and 64 years before parole. Serving his sentence would make Herbert 88. Exoneration is a key step toward legal justice and perpetrator accountability.
Herbert’s case shows how video monitoring prevents wrongful convictions.
Sources:
- Newark Police Department
- Office of the Public Defender, State of New Jersey
- Court Records, Essex County, New Jersey
