Man Who Received $4M Payout After Being ‘Wrongly’ Jailed for Murder Sent Back to Prison for Admitting Another Killing

Shaurn Thomas, a Philadelphia man who had previously received a $4.1 million settlement after serving 24 years in prison for a wrongful murder conviction, is now back in jail.

Thomas, 50, pleaded guilty in court on Thursday to the killing of 38-year-old Akeem Edwards on January 3, 2023, allegedly over a $1,200 drug debt.

The judge at the plea hearing expressed disbelief that Thomas, who had been compensated after spending nearly half his life incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, would risk returning to jail over such a small sum.

“Are these facts true?” Common Pleas Court Judge Roxanne Covington asked Thomas, to which he confirmed.

In addition to the murder charge, Shaurn Thomas also pleaded guilty to conspiracy, illegal gun possession, and other related charges.

The family of Akeem Edwards expressed their hope that Thomas will be sentenced to life in prison, as they await his sentencing, which is scheduled for February.

“There’s not enough time for them to possibly give him,” Edwards’ sister, Tyeisha Marshall, said.

Thomas’s previous life sentence was overturned in 2017 after he was convicted for the 1990 shooting death of a businessman during a robbery gone wrong.

A judge vacated the conviction due to issues with the police investigation, including failure to verify his alibi and questionable interrogation tactics involving alleged co-conspirators.

The Pennsylvania Innocence Project, which helped secure his release, maintained that Thomas was not near the crime scene.

While prosecutors expressed doubts about Thomas’s complete innocence in the case, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office chose not to retry the case.

Thomas is now facing sentencing for the 2023 murder of Akeem Edwards, which is scheduled for February.