Elderly Detroit man freed after he was sentenced to life in prison at the age of 18

An elderly man who has been in prison since fatally stabbing a Detroit man in the chest during a 1965 robbery is being released as the result of a Michigan court ruling that changes how the state treats 18-year-olds convicted of murder.

Ivory Thomas was resentenced Tuesday to 40 to 60 years in prison, which means he has served his maximum penalty.

Thomas was the oldest Wayne County man still in prison after being sentenced as an 18-year-old.

In 2022, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in People v. Poole that 18-year-olds sentenced to life without the possibility of parole are entitled to resentencing. A mandatory life sentence for an 18-year-old violates the state constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, the court ruled.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said she supported Thomas’s release because he’s “very ill” and has made a positive transformation in prison. She said the family of the victim also supported his release.

“Mr. Thomas is 77 years old and has served 60 years in prison for taking the life of Michael Railsback since he was 18 years old,” Worthy said. “He is very ill and has accepted full responsibility for his actions. We have examined this case and believe in these facts, as well as Mr. Ivory’s transformation in prison, that the family of Mr. Railsback and I can fully support Mr. Ivory’s release.”

Railsback was 18 years old when he was killed at Dueweke Park.

Thomas was serving his time at the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer.