SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — The city of Simi Valley, California, has reached a $21 million settlement with a man wrongly imprisoned for nearly 40 years in the killing of his girlfriend and her 4-year-old son.
Craig Coley was released in 2017 after he was pardoned by then-Gov. Jerry Brown, who said DNA evidence and re-investigation proved his innocence.
The Los Angeles Times reports Simi Valley officials said Saturday that the agreement would mitigate long, costly and unnecessary legal proceedings.
The city will pay about $4.9 million and the rest is expected to be paid by insurance and other sources.
The state last year approved a separate, nearly $2 million payment for Coley. He is 71.
Coley’s lawyer says the money offers closure, though no amount can compensate for the life he missed while imprisoned.
