California’s longest-serving wrongfully convicted prisoner is released.

Michael Hanline who spent last 36 years in prison is now officially a free man. Charges against him were dismissed this Wednesday in Ventura, California.

Hanline was serving a life sentence for murder, but thanks to the California Innocence Project he is now out. Lawyers of CIP were working on his case for the last 15 years and this is a great victory both for them and Michael who is now 69 years old.

The key to his liberation was to re-examine the evidence which showed that DNA found on the crime scene was not Hanline’s, plus there was some evidence that prosecutors withheld from his defense team during the trial.

After his liberation, Hanline said that he feels good and that he knew he wouldn’t spend his entire life in prison. “When I first got arrested, I figured it might take a year or two to get this all straightened around but not 36, 36 years is a long, long time.”

Michael was charged for kidnaping and murder of J.T. McGarry in 1978. Authorities believed that Hanline was jealous because he and McGarry were involved with the same woman during that time, and that he and his accomplice killed McGarry and dumped his body on the highway.

Key witnesses to the trial were Hanline’s girlfriend at the time, Mary Bischoff, who testified against him and confirmed that he was threating McGarry to “blow his brains out”. On trial she added that he went out of the house on the night of the murder with his gun and came back muddy.

Two years after his arrest he was convicted for first-degree murder and sentenced for life in prison without a chance of parole.

In November last year he was released after the new evidence came to light on his case, but he had to wear a GPS ankle bracelet. His lawyers asked for case dismissal because his trial was based on probable cause.

After a definite release and drop of charges Hanline spent most of his time riding his bike and adapting to the new environment. As he said “it’s a completely new ball game”, prices of gas and cigarettes are higher, there is a lot of new technologies that he needs to learn how to use.

As for his plans he said he wants to relax and enjoy the time with his wife Sandy. “All I want to do is go fishing and ride my bike and spend time with Sandy and do a little gardening,” he said.

Michael is the third person in California to be released after murder charges based on a false trial or evidence. Unfortunately he is the one who served the most of his time in jail.