A man who was convicted of killing a Minneapolis teenager more than 16 years ago is now free after a Hennepin County judge vacated his conviction Wednesday.

Edgar Barrientos-Quintana’s 2009 murder conviction was overturned by Judge John McBride after he found defense counsel’s representation flawed and prosecutors committed Brady violations, according to the Great North Innocence Project (GNIP).

Barrientos-Quintana was convicted of killing 18-year-old Jesse Mickelson at Roosevelt High School in May 2009.

Mr Barrientos-Quintana’s lawyer from the Great North Innocence Project, Anna McGinn, said of the acquittal: “We are delighted with today’s outcome and that justice has finally prevailed for Edgar. The tragedy of Mr. Mickelson’s killing was compounded by Edgar’s wrongful conviction and imprisonment. We all look forward to seeing the impact it will inevitably have outside the prison walls.”

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According to a GNIP release, a two-year investigation by the Minnesota Sentencing Review Unit (CRU) uncovered missteps by the state as well as Barrientos-Quintana’s defense team.

The CRU also found that Barrientos-Quintana had a credible alibi at the time of the crime and the prosecution used “problematic eyewitness identification procedures.”

Judge McBride also ruled that Barrientos-Quintana’s defense team “was ineffective on numerous fronts, including failing to present corroborating evidence and failing to challenge the testimony of investigators and eyewitnesses at trial.”

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Mr Barrientos-Quintana’s family said: “As a family we express our gratitude to God for granting Edgar his freedom. He missed so many precious moments including watching his children grow up, attending graduations, birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations with family and the loss of our beloved father. He has a lot of ground to cover. Finally, the mother will be able to have her son back at family dinners, and the place that has been vacant for so long will be filled with his laughter and presence again. Edgar’s journey was one of endurance, strength and unwavering faith. Despite the challenges and obstacles he faced, he never lost hope. His spirit is an inspiration to us all, a testament to the power of perseverance and the human capacity for resilience.”