Over the course of his 30 years in prison, Michael Sullivan’s life changed dramatically. His mother and four siblings passed away, and his first love moved on with her life. All of this happened because of a murder he never committed.
The Beginning of the Nightmare
On March 8, 1986, just past midnight, the body of Wilfred McGrath was discovered behind an abandoned supermarket. McGrath had been brutally murdered. His body was wrapped in a blanket with his feet bound by wires, showing clear signs of severe beating.
The police quickly identified Gary Grace as a suspect. Grace struck a deal with the authorities, claiming he could name the main perpetrator in exchange for a reduced sentence. According to Grace, the real killer was Sullivan. 
The investigation revealed that Sullivan’s sister had spent the night before the murder with McGrath. They returned to Sullivan’s apartment together, giving Sullivan both the opportunity and motive to commit the crime.
Grace’s testimony also described how Sullivan repeatedly stomped on McGrath’s head, even detailing the purple jacket Sullivan wore during the attack. The police later found this jacket and claimed they discovered blood stains on the sleeves, along with a hair that was not Sullivan’s, but McGrath’s.
A Wrongful Conviction
The police insisted that Sullivan was guilty. They pointed to the blood on his jacket as proof. Despite his protests, Sullivan was convicted of murder and armed robbery in 1987, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Grace, who had implicated Sullivan, received only a six-year sentence.
Sullivan, along with his family, cried out in desperation, insisting on his innocence. However, their cries fell on deaf ears, and he was sent to prison.
For nearly 30 years, Sullivan lived through the nightmare of wrongful imprisonment. He endured constant bullying from other inmates, and in one instance, his nose was almost bitten off. In another, an inmate nearly chewed off his ear. His high school sweetheart, who had known him since he was 12, waited for him for 10 years but ultimately moved on with her life. Sullivan described his time in prison as “extremely difficult,” especially knowing he was innocent.
A Breakthrough After 26 Years
In 2011, Sullivan’s fate began to change. Along with his lawyer, he had never given up hope of proving his innocence. Finally, in 2011, his lawyer convinced the court to test the critical piece of evidence: the purple jacket. The DNA testing revealed that there were no bloodstains on the jacket, and the hair that was once thought to belong to McGrath was also proven not to be his.
The breakthrough came when the evidence, which had initially been used to convict Sullivan, was proven to be false. The police had fabricated evidence, and Sullivan was proven innocent.
With the new findings, the court ordered a retrial in 2012. Sullivan was released in 2013 after spending 26 years behind bars. However, he was electronically monitored and placed under house arrest for another six months. When he was finally able to step outside and breathe fresh air, it was already 2014.
Life After Exoneration
In 2014, the highest court declared Sullivan’s innocence. However, by 2019, the court decided not to review his case again. Many of the witnesses had passed away, and others had grown too old to remember clearly, making a retrial impossible. As a result, Sullivan’s case was finally closed with a verdict of innocence.
Though Sullivan was relieved by the decision, he was also afraid to return to society. Having spent half of his life in prison, he had fallen behind on the progress of the outside world. He had not received any job training while incarcerated, as his life sentence excluded him from any such programs. Once released, he struggled to find work and could only assist his family with small jobs, such as washing clothes, much like he did for fellow prisoners during his time behind bars.
Family Support and the Compensation Saga
Sullivan now lives with his sister and his Yorkie, Buddy, along with pigeons she keeps. His sister has expressed outrage over the miscarriage of justice. She insists that their family always believed Sullivan was innocent and that they supported him throughout the trial. During his time in prison, the family kept in touch with him twice a week. Sullivan’s sister says, “Without me, my brother would have been homeless and on the streets.”
In early 2019, a jury in Massachusetts ruled that Sullivan should receive compensation from the state. However, due to state laws, the maximum compensation for wrongful conviction is limited to $1 million, even though the state had agreed to a $13 million payout.
Sullivan was granted $1 million for the years lost, though he considers this a small compensation compared to the life he lost. He plans to buy a new truck, fulfilling a childhood dream. Most of the money, however, will be saved for his niece and nephew to ensure they have everything they need when they turn 21.
“This money will go to them,” he says. “My most important goal now is to take care of my niece and nephew.”
Conclusion
After decades of wrongful imprisonment, Sullivan’s case highlights the devastating effects of miscarriages of justice. Despite his exoneration, the process of rebuilding his life is slow and filled with difficulties. His story serves as a reminder of the importance of ensuring fairness and transparency in the justice system, as well as the irreversible costs of false convictions.
