Man Who Spent Two Decades In Prison Walks Free After Charges Dropped

(CBS) --A man who spent 22 years behind bars walked out of prison a free man Tuesday after prosecutors dropped the murder charges against him.

Eddie Bolden, 46, walked out of Cook County Jail at around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, surrounded by elated and relieved friends and family.

Bolden was convicted in 1996 for the murders of two victims in Woodlawn. Even though there was little evidence against him, except the testimony of a single eyewitness who was the brother of one of the victims.

In an appeals hearing last year, that testimony was largely discredited by three witnesses who never testified at trial.

"Each of the witnesses said exactly what two of the witnesses had said at trial -- which is that Eddie was inside a fish restaurant at the time the shootings were happening outside," said Bolden's attorney Ron Safer. "These three people were totally impartial. They had never met Eddie before, but they remembered that he was in there and they testified to that at the hearing."

"I never believed he would really get out, but he did," said sister Ricquia Lanore. "I just didn't think it was possible."

Bolden said he never accepted that he would spend the rest of his life behind bars.

"They said I had life, I didn't say I had life and I worked on coming home," Bolden said.

Bolden then thanked his attorney who spent more than six years to free him and thanked the Cook County state's attorney's office which finally agreed he had been wrongfully convicted.

"It's just very difficult on the family, so you all feel like you're locked up," said Bolden's aunt Brenda Lee.

And now Eddie Bolden's freedom is theirs as well. He celebrated his release with family Tuesday night at the Pilsen Giordano's.

Both of Bolden's parents died while in prison and his son, who was one at the time of his conviction grew up without him. But Bolden will be out in time to watch that son graduate college on Sunday.