Long before he had a graying beard, Lamar Johnson wrote to the St. Louis judge who oversaw his 1995 trial, saying he had received letters from another man admitting guilt to the murder for which he had just been convicted. “Mr. Shaw I did not kill Markus Boyd,” Johnson wrote nearly three decades ago, “and I hope someday justice will prevail.” Following years of legal battles, that day came today, when Circuit Judge David Mason announced he was granting the St. Louis circuit attorney’s motion to vacate Johnson’s conviction. Prosecutors had determined Johnson spent 28 years in prison for the 1994 murder of Markus Boyd, a crime he did not commit. The crowd in the courtroom cheered as Mason’s decision was announced. Johnson — who, at 49, has spent more than half of his life in prison — wiped tears from his eyes. At the link in our bio, read more about the years-long effort to free Johnson. #KansasCity #Missouri #WrongfulConviction #JailhouseInformants #MissouriNews