A hearing this week will determine if Missouri inmate Christopher Dunn should be released after spending over three decades in prison for a murder he has always claimed he did not commit. Dunn’s conviction and life sentence without parole was based on the testimonies of two young witnesses who later admitted to lying during the trial. St. Louis prosecutors now believe Dunn is innocent, but the Missouri Attorney General’s Office is arguing to keep him imprisoned. Dunn is expected to attend the hearing before Judge Jason Sengheiser that begins on Tuesday.
Dunn was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1990 death of 15-year-old Ricco Rogers, primarily based on the eyewitness accounts of two boys, ages 12 and 14 at the time, who later recanted, alleging that they were coerced by police and prosecutors. Despite these recantations, Dunn has remained in prison for 33 years. A law change in Missouri in 2021 allows prosecutors to request hearings in cases where they believe a wrongful conviction has occurred, leading to Dunn’s upcoming hearing to potentially overturn his conviction.
In several sworn affidavits, the two main witnesses in Dunn’s trial admitted to perjury in 2005 and 2015, respectively. Previous efforts to vacate Dunn’s sentence have failed until now, with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney filing a motion in 2023 that was later followed up by the current Circuit Attorney, Gabe Gore. Dunn, who is Black, was 18 at the time of the murder and has maintained his innocence throughout, claiming he was at home with his mother when Rogers was killed, and no physical evidence linked him to the crime.
The 2021 law change in Missouri that allows prosecutors to seek hearings for cases of potential wrongful convictions has already led to the release of two men who spent decades in prison for crimes they did not commit. This includes Kevin Strickland, who was freed after 40 years in prison for three killings, and Lamar Johnson, who spent nearly 28 years in prison for a murder he always insisted he didn’t commit. Another case pending involves Marcellus Williams, who narrowly escaped execution for a murder in 1998, with new evidence showing his DNA was not on the handle of the murder weapon. These cases highlight the importance of re-examining convictions and ensuring justice is served.
