Man Wrongfully Imprisoned for 21 Years Settles Lawsuit for $5.25 Million
Quick Look
- Jeff Titus, who spent 21 years in prison for a double murder, has settled a lawsuit for $5.25 million.
- He accused police of withholding evidence that could have pointed to an Ohio serial killer, Thomas Dillon, and cast doubt on trial testimony.
- His convictions were vacated.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Jeff Titus spent nearly 21 years in prison for the deaths of two Michigan hunters. His murder convictions were erased after prosecutors requested it, following the discovery of evidence pointing to an Ohio serial killer. Titus maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration.
DETROIT -- A man who spent nearly 21 years in prison for the deaths of two Michigan hunters agreed to a $5.25 million settlement after accusing police of failing to turn over evidence that could have helped him at trial, a lawyer said Monday.
Jeff Titus was released in 2023 and his murder convictions were erased at the request of prosecutors. The Innocence Clinic at University of Michigan law school and two investigators got authorities to acknowledge that an Ohio serial killer might have been the person who killed the hunters in 1990.
Titus had long declared his innocence.
“It's been a long road for Jeff,” attorney Wolf Mueller said. “He's 74. He lost two decades of his life. The money doesn’t make up for the loss of decades, but it allows him to put this part of his life behind him.”
An email seeking comment from the lawyer who defended a retired homicide detective in the lawsuit wasn't immediately answered.
Doug Estes and Jim Bennett were fatally shot near Titus’ property in Kalamazoo County in 1990. Titus initially was cleared as a suspect, but murder charges were filed against him 12 years later. Prosecutors portrayed Titus as a hothead who didn’t like trespassers.
Students and staff at University of Michigan law school were trying to get him a new trial when a 30-page file from the original investigation was discovered at the county sheriff’s office. It was a blockbuster: It referred to an alternate suspect, Thomas Dillon of Magnolia, Ohio.
Jacinda Davis, at the TV network Investigation Discovery, and Susan Simpson, through the podcast “Undisclosed,” had raised doubts about Titus’ guilt and aired questions about Dillon’s possible role.
Dillon died in prison in 2011. He was arrested in 1993 and ultimately pleaded guilty to killing five people in Ohio who had been hunting, fishing or jogging.
The lawsuit that was settled Monday did not center on Dillon as an alternate suspect. Rather, police were accused of violating Titus' rights by not sharing information that could have cast doubt on the trial testimony of a key witness, Mueller said.
Open Questions
- What specific evidence was withheld by the police that could have helped Titus at trial?
- Will there be any disciplinary action against the police officers involved in withholding evidence?
- What led to the initial charges against Titus despite him being cleared as a suspect?
- What was the exact nature of the key witness's testimony that could have been doubted?
