Man Cleared by DNA Evidence After 37 Years in Prison

Man Cleared by DNA Evidence After 37 Years in Prison

Tampa City Council approved a $14 million settlement in a federal lawsuit on Thursday for Robert DuBoise, who spent 37 years wrongfully imprisoned for rape and murder before being exonerated in September 2020.

DuBoise was convicted in 1983 for the rape and murder of Barbara Grams in Tampa Heights. However, DNA evidence later proved his innocence, making him the 30th person exonerated from Florida’s death row. The Innocence Project of Florida aided in DuBoise’s case.

Expressing his sorrow for the families affected, DuBoise criticized the police’s focus on him, stating that false evidence was fabricated to fit their theory. Subsequent DNA analysis implicated two convicted felons already serving life sentences for a separate murder in Pinellas County that same year.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor emphasized the importance of accuracy and high investigation standards in the criminal justice system

acknowledging technological and training advancements in the Tampa Police Department since the 1980s.

During DuBoise’s trial, there was no physical or circumstantial evidence linking him to the crime. False testimony from a jailhouse informant further complicated the case.

Chief of Police Lee Bercaw highlighted the department’s progress in investigation methods, ensuring greater accuracy and due process.

The settlement, to be paid over three years, includes an initial payment of $9 million, followed by $3 million next year and the final $2 million in 2026. DuBoise will file to dismiss the wrongful conviction lawsuit within ten days of receiving the initial payment.

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