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September 28, 2026
Justin Michael Wolfe Freed After 25 Years Following Witness Recantation
- Justin Michael Wolfe was released after serving 25 years, including over a decade on death row, after the sole witness recanted his testimony.
- Wolfe accepted a plea deal for lesser charges of marijuana distribution and solicitation of robbery, receiving a sentence equivalent to time served.
- Virginia's ban on capital punishment in 2021 allowed the witness to recant without fear of the death penalty, leading to Wolfe's release.
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3 Sources
- He got the death sentence 24 years ago. A judge just freed him after plea deal.Sep 28, 2026 at 11:10 PM · Washington Post
- A Virginia man freed after 25 years as a murder conviction is vacatedSep 30, 2026 at 12:15 AM · AP
- Locked up 25 years on a lie: Virginia death row inmate freed as star witness admits frame jobSep 30, 2026 at 9:28 AM · Independent