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| Man Who Served 26 Years to Be Tried Again |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 05/12/2003 |
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A man who spent nearly 26 years in an Iowa prison for murder before being released two weeks ago turned himself in Wednesday to be retried on the same charge. Terry Harrington, 44, posted $100,000 bond at a hearing and was released a short time later, with trial tentatively set for July 15. Prosecutor Matthew D. Wilber said afterward that he is confident there is enough evidence to try Harrington again. 'I still have a family that lost a husband, a father and a grandpa, and I owe it to them to do my best,' he said. 'It's a tough case to prove.' Wilber said no other suspects were being sought in the case. Harrington was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1977 shooting death of John Schweer, a retired police officer who was working as a security guard at a Council Bluffs car dealership. The Iowa Supreme Court overturned his conviction in February based on new evidence showing that police reports pointing to another suspect were never turned over to defense lawyers and that the state's primary witness had recanted his testimony. The court ordered a retrial, but Harrington remained in prison while the attorney general's office questioned the ruling. Gov. Tom Vilsack intervened, granting Harrington a 90-day reprieve, and he was released April 17. Harrington's mother, Josephine James, said her son had been enjoying his freedom, including an Easter celebration at the family's church, but said the developments have taken an emotional toll. 'My son's been up there for 25 years and to do this to him all over again - I can't explain it, but it's been tough,' she said. |
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