Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate Exonerated

  

Iwao Hakamada has spent 56 years on death row, awaiting execution

An 88-year-old man, recognized as the world’s longest-serving death row inmate, has been acquitted by a Japanese court.

Iwao Hakamada, who spent over 50 years on death row, was convicted in 1968 for the murders of his boss, the man’s wife, and their two teenage children.

Recently, he was granted a retrial due to concerns that investigators may have planted evidence that contributed to his conviction for this quadruple homicide.

The verdict concludes one of Japan's longest and most notable legal battles, making Hakamada only the fifth death row inmate to be granted a retrial in the country’s post-war history.

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