The two half-brothers who were released a year ago after wrongfully serving 30 years in prison for the rape and murder of a child, have been awarded $750,000 each in compensation, according to NBC News.
Henry McCollum, 51, and Leon Brown, 47, were awarded the financial compensation Wednesday by the North Carolina Industrial Commission after DNA evidence cleared them in the 1983 rape and murder of 11-year-old Sabrina Buie.
As previously reported in 2014 by HNGN, the brothers were questioned until they eventually confessed to the crime, stating that they were pressured and threatened by officers during their interrogations.
At the time of their arrest in '83, both of the brothers were teenagers and mentally disabled, with one of the brothers reportedly having the mentality of a 9 year old.
The governor's pardon made both brothers eligible for reimbursement from the state totaling $50,000 for each year of wrongful incarceration with a limit of $750,000, according to ABC News.
They will also be eligible for educational benefits from the state.
McCollum, who was serving on death row for the false conviction, said that the money will go a long way in providing help for them and their family.
"My family, they have struggled for years and years. It's hard out there for them, and I want to help..." said McCollum.
Robeson County, the place of the girl's murder, is being sued on behalf of the brothers, as well as the county sheriff and others involved with the case.
