BARTOW -- He’s been in jail for the last 35 years, but thanks to DNA evidence, a wrongly accused prisoner is now a free man.
James “Jamie” Bain was released Thursday morning.
In 1974, a 9-year-old boy was taken from his bed in Lake Wales, then raped in a nearby baseball field. The young victim picked Bain, then 18, out of a photo lineup.
Blood samples were taken, and a jury convicted Bain, who was sentenced to life in prison.
Now, however, Innocence Project of Florida said DNA proves Bain, now 54, didn’t do it.
» See List of DNA Exonerations in Florida
Moments after walking out of jail, Bain told reporters he was not angry, saying he was in God’s hands.
For the last 35 years, Bain and his family have maintained his innocence. He made several requests in the last eight years to have DNA tests done on the victim’s underwear, but the judge denied it each time.
That changed this year, when a judge finally granted the motion in July, and new testing was done.
“I’m just so happy,” said Bain’s 77-year-old mother, Sara Reed. “I still don’t believe it’s happening.”
Family members have been preparing for his release.
“It’s just so hard to talk about, because it brings so many tears,” said Bain’s sister, Janie Jones. “So many hard memories, you know, just hard.”
The family made plenty of plans for Bain’s homecoming, including a visit to the family cemetery, followed by a celebration at his mother’s home, where Bain can eat his favorite dish: Fried turkey.
Bain’s release is historic, as he has spent more time behind bars than any other person in U.S. history who was ultimately freed by new DNA evidence.
Information from News 13’s Bright House Networks affiliate, Bay News 9, was used in this report.
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