An Oklahoma man, Ronald Bledsoe, spent nearly 600 days in jail for a murder he did not commit. Bledsoe was accused of killing 12-year-old Jannah Britton in 2015, but a jury recently found him not guilty. However, instead of being released immediately, Bledsoe spent an additional night behind bars. Emily Grossnicklaus, Bledsoe’s assistant public defender, expressed her concern over the delay in his release, stating that it is unacceptable to keep someone locked up when they are no longer accused of a crime.
The case against Bledsoe relied heavily on the identification of a vehicle seen in a video from 2015, which the jury did not find convincing. Despite being acquitted, Bledsoe was not released from the Oklahoma County Jail until the following day. The jail cited the legal process and factors such as paperwork and staffing levels as reasons for the delay.
Grossnicklaus emphasized that this issue is not isolated, as similar incidents have been occurring at the jail recently. Bledsoe’s attorney is considering taking legal action against the jail for the extra night of detention.
No other arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Jannah Britton. The case remains unsolved.
