Free Davontae
SOUNDBITE OF AUDIO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Now, is there anything that you wrote down that you want to talk about, about this case on Runyon?
DAVONTAE SANFORD: No.
WELLS: Davontae Sanford was charged with the murders as an adult, and his mother Taminko says she listened when her attorney advised them to take a plea.
SANFORD: Because if you don't take this plea, Davontae will never see daylight again. My baby never wanted to take the plea. He kept telling me, momma, no, momma, no. I forced Davontae to take that plea. He was - he got 37 to 90 years.
WELLS: Here's where it gets even weirder. About a month later, a hitman named Vincent Smothers was arrested and he was charged with eight killings.
ED WHITE: At that time he also took responsibility for these four homicides on Runyon Street.
WELLS: This is Ed White. He covers legal affairs in Detroit for the Associated Press and has been following this case for years. Smothers was able to lead cops to the murder weapon from the Runyon Street crime. Now he says he wants to help free Davontae Sanford.
WHITE: He said prison is a miserable place, I'm here because I committed these killings. He said he can't imagine someone who's innocent serving time in prison.
WELLS: Davontae Sanford is now 20 years old. His new defense team is asking the court of appeals to throw out his guilty plea. The court could also decide to kick his case back to a lower judge, which may give Smothers, the hitman, a chance to testify on Devontae's behalf. Devontae's mom, Taminko Sanford, says she has been waiting for Devontae to come home for five years.
SANFORD: I'm still hopeful because I'm not really expecting nothing out of a man nor a woman. I'm expecting for God to move.
WELLS: The court of appeals will make their decision in the coming weeks, maybe months. For HERE AND NOW, I'm Kate Wells in Detroit.