John Grega, 50, walked out of a Vermont prison Wednesday after spending 18 years in prison for a murder he always said he didn’t commit. Grega was convicted in 1995 of murdering his wife, Christine, but recently, new DNA evidence collected from the victim’s body revealed male DNA that did not match Grega.
Grega is the first inmate to successfully challenge their conviction using a 2008 Vermont law allowing DNA testing for serious felonies. While the Windham County State’s Attorney joined the motion to vacate Grega’s conviction, they also filed a simultaneous motion to retry him for his wife’s murder.
Grega’s family drove from Long Island, New York to meet him when he was released. He collapsed into the arms of his mother who told him, “Johnny. You look great. I brought you a Snapple.” Grega will be staying with his mother in New York while a new trial is pending.
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