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Framingham: After spending nearly thirty years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Michael Sullivan was finally exonerated in 2024 when a Massachusetts court acquitted him of the 1986 murder of Wilfred McGroth. Sullivan, now 64, was awarded $13 million in damages, despite a $1 million limit imposed by state law. Sullivan was convicted based on the false testimony of a state police chemist. Recently, cases of subsequent acquittal of many such convicts have come to light in the state.
Sullivan’s troubles began when he was convicted in 1987 on disputed evidence. The police department went after Sullivan after reports that Sullivan’s sister had moved into the apartment she shared with McGroth the night before McGroth was murdered. Another accused, Gary Grace, was acquitted of murder after blaming Sullivan. The centerpiece of the prosecution’s case was the purple jacket worn by Sullivan, which a state chemist testified contained traces of McGroth’s blood and hair.
But in 2011, Sullivan’s luck changed and his attorney demanded DNA testing, which had not been available in previous trials. The investigation revealed that not only was there blood on the jacket, but the hair was not McGroth’s. A new trial began in 2012, and Sullivan was acquitted in 2014. But for years he had to wear an electronic bracelet whenever he left the house. In 2014, the Supreme Court allowed a new trial, but in 2019, the state declined to hear the case because most of the witnesses had died.
Prison life was difficult for Sullivan as he faced physical attacks and isolation. The life sentence also deprived him of an educational program, leaving him unprepared for a modern lifestyle upon his release from prison. The conviction not only cost him years but also destroyed his relationships. His girlfriend visited him for a decade but then moved on with her life. While in prison, Sullivan’s mother and brother died. Now free, the world has changed for Sullivan and he must contend with technology. Now he doesn’t trust anyone. He is living his life by working at his sister’s house.
Despite his acquittal, imprisonment had a profound effect on Sullivan. He wants to use the compensation amount received for his sister’s children. His attorney is seeking treatment for Sullivan. For Sullivan, the victory lies in the exoneration of his name, but the wound of being wrongly convicted cannot be healed.