LOWELL, Mass. — A Lowell man who spent more than 30 years in prison for a deadly fire he did not commit was awarded a $13 million wrongful conviction settlement from the city.
Victor Rosario was arrested and convicted in 1983 for setting a fire in a Lowell home that killed eight people after his attorneys say he was at the scene trying to save people from the burning building.
Lowell Police later detained him and used a language barrier to force him to confess to the crime.
In 2014, a Judge exonerated Rosario, finding there was no actual evidence of arson. Rosario then sued the city for wrongfully convicting him.
Tuesday night, the Lowell City Council agreed to pay him $13 million as compensation for his wrongful conviction.
“Today, this chapter is ended and a new beginning for me. Nothing can ever compensate for those years taken from me,” Rosario said Wednesday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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