Hide Transcript Show Transcript

WEBVTT PORTER LOWELL MELSER IS LIVE DOWNTOWN. LOWELL? LOWELL: THEY ARE LATE BREAKING DEVELOPMENT. LITERALLY, ABOUT A MINUTE AGO, MALCOLM JAMAAL BRYANT WALKED OUT OF COURT HOUSE BEAST A FREE MAN. -- EAST A FREE MAN. HE WALKED OUT. ONTO A CAR AND DROVE OFF WITH FAMILY. THE PROSECUTORS RELIED HEAVILY ON THE TESTIMONY OF ONE KEY WITNESS. THIS WAS FOR THE KILLING OF A 16-YEAR-OLD. SHE WAS STABBED REPEATEDLY IN THE STOMACH AS SHE AND A FRIEND WALKED HOME. HER FRIEND WAS ABLE TO GET AWAY. PROSECUTORS SAID AT THAT TIME, THE MOTIVE WAS ROBBERY. RIGHT WAS SENTENCED - BRYANT WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON. A LATE AFTERNOON NEWS CONFERENCE, BALTIMORE STATE ATTORNEY SAID THAT BRYANT ALWAYS MAINTAINED HIS INNOCENCE AND EXHAUSTED ALL OF HIS APPEALS. TO THE HELP OF THE INNOCENCE PROJECT, HE WAS ABLE TO GET A COURT ORDERED DNA TEST IN FINGERNAIL CLIPPINGS OF THE VICTIM. THE D PROFILE DO NOT MATCH BRYANT. IN THE PROSECUTORS TO BELIEVE WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT HE DID NOT COMMIT THE MURDER. >> MY TEAM ULTIMATELY CONCLUDED FOLLOWING THE REINVESTIGATION THAT THE ONLY PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR THE DNA, THE MALE DNA UNDER THE VICTIMS FINGERNAIL AND THE AREA OF THE FATAL WOUND ON THE TEACHER, IS THAT THE DNA -- T-SHIRT, IS THAT THE DNA IS THAT OF THE KILLER. IT DOES NOT MATCH OF MALCOLM BRYANT WHICH IN ALL PROBABILITY MEANS THAT HE IS NOT THE KILLER. LOWELL THE BREAKING PART OF THE STORY, AGAIN WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF MINUTES, BRYANT WAS RELEASED A FREE MAN. HE LEFT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN THE CAR. BUT THE STATE ATTORNEY AND POLICE COMMISSIONER SAY THIS REMAINS AN ACTIVE CASE AND THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO FIND THE KILLER. THEY MIGHT HAVE A HEAD START WITH THE DNA EVIDENCE.

Advertisement DNA evidence clears man convicted in 1998 murder Share Shares Copy Link Copy

DNA evidence has exonerated a man convicted years ago in a teenager's killing.Malcolm Jabbar Bryant, who was found guilty of the November 1998 murder of 16-year-old Toni Bullock, had charges dropped Wednesday because of DNA evidence.Bullock was stabbed repeatedly in the stomach as she and a friend walked along Harford Road in northeast Baltimore. Her friend was able to get away. Prosecutors said at the time that the motive was robbery.Bryant was convicted in August 1999 and sentenced in September 1999 to life in prison.Bullock's case is not closed and police said they are actively searching for her killer.Prosecutors said Bryant always maintained his innocence over the years and exhausted all his appeals. With the help of the University of Baltimore Innocence Project, he got a court-appointed DNA test of fingernail clippings from the victim."Mr. Bryant was always adamant, he never wavered," Michele Nethercott of Project Innocence said. "He was consistent in everything he told me."Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said Wednesday afternoon that the DNA profile did not match Bryant's. She said the Conviction Integrity Unit re-investigated the Bullock case and concluded that Bryant was not the killer.VIDEO: Bryant reunites with family outside courthouse"The DNA report revealed a partial male DNA profile on the nail clippings, which included a rare identifier, which did not match that of Mr. Malcolm Bryant. Following the revelation of this evidence, the court ordered the state to send the victim's clothing for DNA testing. In 2015, the test of the victim's T-shirt, where the fatal wound was inflicted upon her, revealed a full male DNA profile that matched the partial profile from the nail clippings, including that rare identifier, which also was inconsistent with Mr. Bryant's DNA," Mosby said.The State's Attorney's Office said prosecutors at the time relied heavily on one particular witness, which ended up leading to Bryant's conviction."On behalf of the criminal justice system, I'd like to apologize to Mr. Malcolm Bryant and his family for the pain they’ve endured as a result of his wrongful conviction," Mosby said. "As prosecutors, our duty is to pursue justice equally and fairly under the law for victims, witnesses, accusers and the accused."Prosecutors and the police commissioner said the case remains active, and they will continue to try to find the killer."My heart breaks for the family of Toni Bullock," Mosby said. "Please know that your daughter is not forgotten, and my office will be working with Commissioner Kevin Davis and the Baltimore Police Department to do all that we can to investigate and prosecute the man who is truly responsible for Toni’s death."Bryant was reunited with his family early Wednesday evening outside Courthouse East."I'm absolutely thankful," Bryant said. "Thankful to God."After the stress and strain of being wrongly incarcerated, Bryant's family is ready to look ahead to a brighter future."(We want to) go home and live life," his family said as they left court.Refresh wbaltv.com and our app, and watch 11 News for late-breaking updates.Get the WBAL-TV News App