He spent 23 years on death row for a Philly murder he said he didn’t commit. On Friday, a judge overturned his conviction.
by Chris Palmer, Updated: June 5, 2020- 4:46 PM

Walter Ogrod spent more than 23 years on death row while insisting he had been wrongfully convicted of killing 4-year-old Barbara Jean Horn in Northeast Philadelphia in 1988.

On Friday, the criminal justice system agreed.

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Common Pleas Court Judge Shelley Robins-New overturned Ogrod’s conviction months after the District Attorney’s Office and defense attorneys had agreed it was tainted by critical flaws — including key evidence withheld by police and prosecutors who put him behind bars, a coerced confession, and unreliable testimony from jailhouse snitches.

During a virtual hearing conducted via Zoom, Assistant District Attorney Carrie Wood tearfully apologized to Ogrod and to Barbara Jean’s family, calling the case a “failure” for them and for the city.

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