A Philadelphia man who once walked free after spending 24 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit is now headed back to prison—but this time, for a murder he admitted to committing.
Shaurn Thomas, 50, made headlines in 2017 when he was exonerated and released from a life sentence for a 1994 murder conviction. His wrongful conviction was overturned after nearly a quarter-century behind bars, and he was awarded a $4.1 million settlement as compensation for the ordeal.
Fast forward to 2023, and Thomas is now pleading guilty to a different killing. According to reports, he confessed to fatally shooting 33-year-old Akeem Edwards, a friend of his girlfriend. The altercation allegedly stemmed from an unpaid $1,200 debt over cocaine Thomas had given Edwards to sell.
At his plea hearing, the judge expressed disbelief at the circumstances. “Are these facts true?” Judge Roxanne Covington asked. Thomas replied, confirming his guilt. She appeared stunned that someone who received millions after a wrongful conviction would risk it all over a relatively small sum of money.
In addition to the murder charge, Thomas also pleaded guilty to conspiracy, illegal gun possession, and related offenses. Edwards’ family members are now hoping for justice. “There’s not enough time for them to possibly give him,” said Tyeisha Marshall, Edwards’ sister, who believes Thomas deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for February.
Thomas’ earlier life sentence, overturned in 2017, was linked to the 1990 murder of a businessman during a robbery. The conviction was vacated after serious flaws in the police investigation came to light, including issues with verifying Thomas’ alibi and concerns over how investigators obtained testimony from alleged co-conspirators. The Pennsylvania Innocence Project, which advocated for Thomas, argued that he was nowhere near the crime scene. While prosecutors were not entirely convinced of his innocence, they declined to retry the case.
Thomas’ story—once a symbol of hope for those wrongfully convicted—has taken a tragic and puzzling turn, leaving many wondering how things went so wrong.
