$25 million compensation after 44 years of wrongful imprisonment

American Ronnie Long, a black man who spent 44 years in prison for rape, was awarded $25 million in compensation three years after being exonerated.

The city of Concord, North Carolina, announced on October 9 that it had paid compensation to settle the civil lawsuit of Ronnie Long, a 68-year-old black man. The $25 million is one of the largest wrongful death compensations in U.S. history.

The federal court said evidence, including semen samples and fingerprints from the crime scene, did not match Mr. Long. In August 2020, the court reversed the original ruling and ordered Long released.

Mr. Long was wrongfully imprisoned for 44 years, three months, and 17 days. A year later, the state of North Carolina compensated him $750,000. He was not satisfied with the compensation and called for help, then sued.

Ronnie Long serving his sentence in a North Carolina prison in 2007. Photo: NBC News — Ronnie Long in prison in North Carolina, 2007. Photo: *NBC News*

The city of Concord also apologized to Mr. Long in a statement. "We deeply regret the mistakes that have caused great harm to Mr. Long, his family, friends, and the community. Through this agreement, we hope to heal his wounds, learn lessons, and ensure that a similar incident never happens again," the apology said.

Sonya Pfeiffer, one of Long's attorneys, said a public apology was part of his request to settle the lawsuit.

Jamie Lau, a law professor at Duke University and Mr. Long’s attorney, called the settlement “welcome,” but stressed that justice had not been served in the wrongful conviction. “This is a big step forward, but no amount of money can make up for his loss,” the professor added.