Maurice Hastings, 72, has been awarded $25 million after spending 38 years behind bars in a California prison following a wrongful conviction for the 1983 murder and sexual assault of Roberta Widmer. His lawyers described the settlement as "the largest wrongful conviction payout in the state’s history."

Hastings was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, yet he maintained his innocence throughout, leading to a prolonged legal battle.

According to court documents, the settlement was finalized in August, though exact details remain confidential. Hastings said in a statement: "No amount of money can give me back the 38 years of my life that were taken from me, but this settlement is a satisfying conclusion to a long journey, and I look forward to moving on with my life."

DNA Testing The case dates back to when the district attorney’s office refused to test DNA samples collected from the victim in 2000, despite Hastings’ request to prove his innocence. After filing for exoneration with the Conviction Integrity Unit in 2021, DNA testing revealed that the semen did not belong to Hastings, leading to his exoneration in 2022 at the age of 69.

Investigations later revealed that the real suspect, Kenneth Beckett, was involved in other kidnapping and sexual assault crimes under similar circumstances to the Widmer case and died in 2020 after being convicted in separate cases.