A Detroit man whose murder conviction was based on coerced witness statements from a disgraced former homicide detective has been exonerated and freed after nearly 30 years in prison.
Roy Blackmon is at least the sixth person to be freed because of the misconduct of retired Det. Barbara Simon, whose coercive actions were reported extensively by Metro Times in 2024.
Roy Blackmon walked free Tuesday, 27 years to the day after a jury convicted him of second-degree murder, felony firearm, and two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm in a 1998 Detroit shooting that left one man dead and two others wounded.
The release is the latest development in the controversy surrounding Simon, whose coercive tactics have been linked to multiple wrongful convictions, exonerations, and millions of dollars in legal settlements.
In March, George Calicut Jr. became the first person released after the Metro Times series ran. Blackmon is now the second.
Wayne County prosecutors agreed to vacate Blackmon’s conviction and dismiss the charges after a joint review by the Michigan Innocence Clinic and the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit found the case rested on false witness testimony gained by police threats and coercion.
According to a court stipulation, Blackmon was targeted after an April 12, 1998, shooting on Woodmont Street in Detroit, even though he had no criminal record and said he was home with his then-girlfriend at the time. The surviving male victim knew Blackmon, did not initially identify him as the shooter, and gave a description that did not match him.
Still, Detroit police secured statements implicating Blackmon, despite no physical evidence tying him to the crime.
At trial in 1999, prosecutors relied on witness testimony riddled with inconsistencies, including conflicting accounts about when the shooting happened and what witnesses could actually see. One witness testified that police threatened to charge her as an accessory to murder if she did not implicate Blackmon. She also said the signed statement attributed to her had been written by Simon.
Simon has been accused in multiple cases of coercing false statements and confessions. In addition to Blackmon and Calcut Jr., her misconduct has led to the exonerations of Mark Craighead, Lamarr Monson, Justly Johnson, and Kendrick Scott, costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
Blackmon was convicted on March 31, 1999, and sentenced to 40 to 60 years in prison, plus two years for felony firearm.
He had challenged the conviction for years. In 2010, a federal judge granted his habeas petition after finding problems with the prosecution’s portrayal of him as a gang member, and Blackmon was released on an appeal bond. But in 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed that ruling, and Blackmon returned to prison.
The Michigan Innocence Clinic took up his case in 2021. Its investigation found that three Detroit police officers, including Simon, used coercive tactics that led to false written statements and testimony. The clinic also found that most eyewitness descriptions of the shooter did not match Blackmon’s height or build and identified a possible alternate suspect who did.
Olivia Vigiletti, lead counsel on the case and a clinical fellow with the Michigan Innocence Clinic, said Blackmon’s decision to return to prison after the 2012 appellate ruling showed how determined he was to clear his name.
“Our investigation simply confirmed what the witnesses in this case tried to tell the jury at trial back in 1999 — the police orchestrated a false narrative that Roy Blackmon committed this crime,” Vigiletti said in a statement. “A federal court rightfully ruled in 2010 that Mr. Blackmon was deprived of a fair trial. But after that decision was overturned on appeal in 2012, Mr. Blackmon did the unthinkable and self-reported back to prison to continue to fight for his freedom from inside.”
The prosecutor’s office ultimately agreed to vacate the conviction and dismiss the charges.
“Though it took far longer than it should have, this time, Mr. Blackmon’s fight for his freedom is truly over,” Michigan Innocence Clinic student attorney Karissa Rendon said.
Blackmon now plans to continue his education and rebuild his life. He received an associate’s degree in faith and community leadership from Calvin University in 2025 and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in applied leadership. According to the Innocence Clinic, he hopes to become a social worker and mentor young people who lack support and become targets of police.
“Coming home from prison after a nearly 28-year battle is not an easy transition, but Mr. Blackmon is a resilient man, and our growing community of re-entry allies are ready to welcome him home,” Vigiletti said.
The case adds to the growing pressure on Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office to revisit convictions tied to Simon. After Metro Times published its investigation in July 2024, Worthy said her office would review Simon cases to identify convictions tainted by misconduct and unreliable evidence.
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