Convicted of second-degree murder in New York County in 1984, Lucius Mason was exonerated five years later after a man testified that he was involved in orchestrating the killing and that Mason had not been the killer. Mason’s conviction on February 7, 1984, arose out of his participation in a fist fight. Two days after the fight occurred, Curtis Monroe, the brother of the other combatant was murdered. The surviving brother accused Mason of the crime, even though the witnesses present were unable to positively identify the killer. After Mason’s conviction, an unrelated federal case produced government witness James Canady, who agreed to testify in exchange for immunity. Canady admitted to ordering the murder for which Mason was convicted and providing the weapon for a hitman known as "Moon." Upon learning of this testimony, Mason’s attorney filed a motion to set aside his conviction. The New York City district attorney joined in the motion to dismiss the charges against Mason. Mason was released from custody and all charges were dropped on July 19, 1988, after he had served five and a half years in prison. – Researched by Carling Spelhaug
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