After a hung jury, a second jury convicted him, and he was sentenced in 1988 to life in state prison without the possibility of parole.
At the time of the victim’s autopsy, sperm was discovered on an oral swab. Hastings had maintained his innocence since his arrest, but a request for DNA testing of the swab in 2000 was denied by the district attorney.
He was eventually able to enter a plea of innocence to the DA’s Sentencing Integrity Unit in 2021, and DNA testing in June revealed the sperm was not his.
The DNA profile matched a man who had been convicted of an armed kidnapping where he placed his female victim in the trunk of a vehicle.
After an Oct. 20 court hearing to vacate his sentence, Hastings told reporters he was not bitter and wanted to enjoy the rest of his life.
“I have prayed for many years that this day would come,” the Associated Press quoted Hastings as saying. “I’m not pointing fingers; I’m not standing here as a bitter man, but I just want to enjoy my life now while I have it.”
SOURCE: BBC news
