| On April 15, 1981, two men robbed a Western Pancake House restaurant in Franklin County, Ohio. The restaurant manager identified a former employee, 26-year-old Kevin Dean Greene, as one of the robbers.
Greene was already facing unrelated drug charges and had a past conviction for aggravated robbery. Although he maintained he was innocent, Greene’s attorney advised him to plead guilty to aggravated robbery to obtain a shorter sentence. Greene pled guilty in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas and in April 1982 he was sentenced to four to 25 years in prison.
After his conviction, Greene filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea, but the motion was denied.
On October 19, 1984, James E. Cox confessed for the second time that he had committed the Western Pancake House robbery. He had confessed in January 1982 but subsequently recanted. His second confession was to Upper Arlington Police Detective James Rothwell, who believed that Cox had robbed the restaurant.
Rothwell contacted the Franklin County prosecutor and Greene took two polygraph examinations, both of which indicated he was not being deceptive when he denied involvement in the robbery. Cox also took a polygraph and the results indicated that Cox was being truthful when he said he committed the robbery.
On December 6, 1984, Greene’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea was granted. Franklin County Prosecutor Michael Miller dismissed the case and Greene was released.
In 1986, Ohio authorized an award of compensation to Greene for his wrongful imprisonment and in September 1987 the Ohio Court of Claims awarded Greene $99,661.17.
- Meghan Barrett Cousino
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