Henry McCollum and Leon Brown, two brothers from Red Springs, North Carolina who spent decades in prison for a crime they did not commit, have finally received a $75 million settlement more than 6 years after they were exonerated.
A jury recently decided that the half-brothers should receive $1 million each for every year spent behind bars, which is equivalent to $31 million each in compensatory damages, as well as $13 million in punitive damages.
The settlement ends the decades-long wait for justice to be fully served for the two. Elliot Abrams, one of their attorneys, said in a statement that “a jury… has finally given Henry and Leon the ability to close this horrific chapter of their lives. They look forward to a brighter future surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones.”
