Douglas Prade not source of DNA, faces release in wife's slaying

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(Gallery by Plain Dealer staff and wire reports)

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Douglas Prade walked out of an Ohio prison this afternoon after more than a decade behind bars.

The former Akron police captain convicted of the 1997 murder of his ex-wife was set free at 4:26 p.m. today from the Madison Correctional Institution in London, Ohio, said Summit County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Brad Gessner.

Gessner said prosecutors filed an appeal in the 9th District Court of Appeals to keep Prade in prison, but that prison officials followed a judge's orders to let Prade go.

Prade told a Fox 8 Cleveland TV reporter that he was a "jumble of emotions" and that he was looking forward to hugging his family members, including grandchildren.



Ohio.com also reported that Prade would hold a news conference this evening at a Columbus-area bowling alley.

by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Judy Hunter, who also said Prade would be granted a new trial, if necessary -- but indicated that he would not be convicted.

"Based on the review of the conclusive Y-STR DNA test results and the evidence from the 1998 trial, the Court is firmly convinced that no reasonable juror would convict the defendant for the crime of aggravated murder with a firearm," Hunter said in the ruling (read the full ruling in the document reader below).

But Summit County prosecutors had been fighting to "keep him behind bars," Gessner said.

He said they have asked the judge to keep Prade in prison until the appeal is resolved.

"This is a gross misapplication of the law, and we will be appealing Prade's exoneration. The defendant had to present new evidence so convincing that no juror would have found him guilty, and he failed to do so,"

<a href="http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/563082/prade-press-release-1.pdf">Prade Press Release (1) (PDF)</a> <br /> <a href="http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/563082/prade-press-release-1.txt">Prade Press Release (1) (Text)</a>



"The DNA evidence presented by the Ohio Innocence Project on behalf of Prade is contaminated and unreliable. It does not prove innocence."

In August, defense attorneys asked that Prade be immediately released from prison after a test showed that DNA found on clothing of his murdered ex-wife came from another man.

The Prade case

DNA didn't come from Douglas Prade, Akron police captain in murder case

Ohio Supreme Court orders review of Akron ex-police captain's murder case

Prade convicted in slaying of ex-wife

Ohio Innocence Project seeks more DNA testing on Dr. Margo Prade

Douglas Prade speaks out in prison interview

Dental expert says he doubts Prade verdict says bite marks don't match

Officer held in ex-wife's slaying; Dr. Margo Prade killed in Akron

Prade was found guilty of the murder in 1998. He has been in prison since. Prade, 66, was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after 26 years. He has always professed his innocence.

During a 2010 hearing, the Summit County prosecutor argued that Prade was convicted because of a large amount of evidence. Yet, Woods said in August that several jurors polled after the trial said it was the bite mark evidence that swayed their verdict.

There were no witnesses to the killing.

With Cliff Pinckard, Tonya Sams and Michael Sangiacomo