Salaam Moore, left, looks at a page his fiancee, Lola Gaines, right, shows him on her phone at their home in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Moore was convicted of murder in 2001, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, but the case was dismissed, all charges vacated, and he was released Monday, July 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) (The Associated Press)
OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma judge has vacated the murder conviction of a man who was serving a life sentence for a 1998 killing.
Oklahoma County District Judge Timothy Henderson vacated the conviction for 34-year-old Salaam Moore, who was released from custody Monday night. Moore's attorneys had argued there was no physical evidence linking him to the death of Phillip Gonzales.
At trial, prosecutors argued that Moore shot and wounded a woman, then killed Gonzales, as part of a drug dispute. Moore was convicted in 2001 of shooting with intent to kill and first-degree murder, based on eyewitness testimony. At Monday's court hearing, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the case.
Moore tells Oklahoma City television KOKH (http://bit.ly/29UgZwI ) he was "dumbfounded" and "distraught" after his conviction but that he was determined to prove his innocence.
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