William Lopez was released from prison in 2013 after serving 23 year in prison for a crime he did not commit.
But just as Lopez was set to go to trial in a federal wrongful prosecution lawsuit he filed against the state of New York, the 55-year-old Bronx man died Saturday of an asthma attack,
the New York Post reported.
Lopez had sued for $124 million, compensation for his life taken away from him when he was convicted in 1989 of killing a suspected Brighton Beach drug dealer. Noted the federal judge upon Lopez's release: "In short, the prosecution's evidence was flimsy to begin with and has since been reduced to rubble."
Lopez had tried hard to restart his life out of prison, enjoying watching football games on weekends, but relying on friends to help him as he struggled financially. He had married wife Alice while incarcerated and the couple had enjoyed about 20 months together before he died of a massive asthma attack.
Lopez, however, had difficulty establishing a relationship with his daughter, Crystal who was just 14 months old when he was convicted. He had looked forward to having his day in court and using any compensation he would receive to help himself and others. He had hoped to go to college and attend law school, and wanted to help his wife start a business.
"My brother Bill was greatly bothered by fact that his life was dramatically impacted by being wrongfully convicted, as well as his knowledge that many other wrongful conditions have taken place without any changes in the system," his brother Eugene told the Post.
His trial was set to begin on Tuesday, just three days after he died,
ABC News noted.
The judge, in announcing Lopez's exoneration last year, called his prosecution "rotten from Day 1,"
the Miami Herald reported.
Noted Lopez's longtime friend and criminal attorney Jeffrey Deskovic to the Post: "He was always looking forward to being compensated. His life was really robbed from him."
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