A Chicago man, Alprentiss Nash, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 17 years, was shot dead on Tuesday afternoon. The shooting took place outside of a currency exchange on the New West Side, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The shooting took place during a drug deal and a suspect was arrested Wednesday afternoon. Two guns were found at the scene, one belonging to Nash and the other to the suspect, the NY Daily News reported.
Nash was incarcerated for the 1995 murder of Leon Stroud during a home invasion - his conviction was solely based on witness testimony. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison before being released in August of 2012 and maintained his innocence throughout his prison stint.
He was freed due to evidence found through DNA tests that were conducted on a ski mask found at the murder scene, which subsequently unveiled a connection to a different man. The state released Nash and gave him a $200,000 settlement.
Upon his release from prison, Nash vowed that he would use his new-found freedom to realize his dreams of becoming a chef and focus on learning about traveling and antique cars
"He was really happy to be free," his mother said. "He was overjoyed and excited about building a new life."
Despite his dreams, Nash struggled to keep a job due to his imprisonment, CBS News reported. "He really just wanted to disappear and get out of here," his mother said. "He jumped all those hurdles and then this happened."
