RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia man who spent years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of a 1979 rape has died just two weeks after he was granted a compassionate release on an unrelated conviction.
Calvin Wayne Cunningham was released from prison for the rape conviction in 1988 and exonerated in 2011 as part of Virginia’s post-conviction DNA testing program.
He was in prison serving time for unrelated convictions for grand larceny and other charges when he was diagnosed last month with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
His lawyer won a compassionate release from the Virginia State Parole Board. Cunningham was released on May 3. His daughter said he died Monday.
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
