Concord Man Who Served 44 Years In Prison Is Freed After Court Rules His Rights Were Violated
It’s been a long time coming for Ronnie Long. He was 20-years-old when he was arrested in Concord for raping a 54-year-old woman. Today, he’s a free man after having served 44 years for a rape he said he did not commit.
A U.S. District Court ordered that Long’s convictions for first-degree rape and burglary and two life sentences be legally void. The court ruled Long’s constitutional rights had been violated when he was convicted. Long’s lawyers had been fighting for years for what they say was a ‘wrongful conviction. Lawyers maintained investigators in Long’s case lied about evidence.
Long was released from Albemarle Correctional Institute on Thursday (August 27). WBTV news was there and reports Long offered this advice to others:
“Don’t ever give up. No matter how rough it can be, always believe that you can overcome. The name of the game is surviving,” Long said. “Hopefully incidents like this can be avoided. If you see injustice being done against somebody – then speak out against it. Speak out, if you don’t then hate it, hate it with all your heart.”
#JusticeCanPrevail
#44Years
#FreeRonnieLong
