Fred Steese, imprisoned for 21 years, dies of cancer aged 62
Steese was declared factually innocent, pardoned by Nevada and given 13 years of freedom before his death.
Fred Steese, who spent 21 years in prison after being convicted of a murder he did not commit, has died of stage 4 cancer aged 62. ProPublica reported that he died on 8 August after spending 13 years free.
Steese was convicted in Nevada in 1995 of murdering Gerard Soules, despite prosecution evidence that he was hundreds of miles away at the time, according to the supplied ProPublica account.
A judge declared Steese “factually innocent” in 2012. Prosecutors continued to maintain that he was guilty and offered him an Alford plea, which allowed him to maintain his innocence while accepting that the state might be able to secure a conviction. Steese accepted the plea rather than face the uncertainty of another trial.
Nevada unconditionally pardoned Steese in late 2017, clearing his record and enabling him to receive $1.4 million in compensation. After his release, he pursued his ambition of becoming a long-haul truck driver.
ProPublica reported that doctors discovered masses on Steese’s liver and pancreas while treating him for a hernia in June. He entered hospice care before his death. His ashes will be kept by his sister, Lynn Myers, in California.
