Virginia Man Freed After 25 Years as Murder Conviction Vacated

A Virginia judge vacated Justin Michael Wolfe's murder conviction on Monday, freeing him after 25 years in prison, including more than a decade on death row. Judge Carl Weimer acted after Owen Barber, the only witness linking Wolfe to the 2001 killing of Daniel Petrole, recanted his testimony.

Wolfe, now 45, agreed to a plea deal on marijuana and robbery charges for time served. He spent his first hours of freedom eating pizza, running errands with his mother, and planning a family dinner. "The thing I relish most is getting to know my nieces and nephews," Wolfe said Tuesday.

“I did 25 years for a marijuana case, something that you can go buy at the store now.”

Prosecutors originally alleged Wolfe hired Barber to kill Petrole, his high school friend and drug supplier, over a $60,000 debt. Barber pleaded guilty to murder in a deal avoiding the death penalty and received a 60-year sentence. Wolfe was convicted of capital murder in 2002.

The case drew national attention in the early 2000s, exposing a drug ring involving teens in northern Virginia. Authorities estimated the group sold up to $10 million in marijuana and ecstasy before their arrest.