Attorney General Miyares Secures Third Writ of Actual Innocence

OAG successfully petitioned the Va. Court of Appeals to Exonerate Marvin Grimm from 1976 Murder Conviction Based on New DNA Evidence 

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Court of Appeals announced today that it issued a writ of actual innocence to Marvin Grimm, who was wrongfully convicted of murder, abduction, and sodomy in Richmond City Circuit Court in 1976. The Court agreed with the Office of the Attorney General and attorneys for Mr. Grimm that modern DNA and toxicology evidence excluded Mr. Grimm from any involvement in the death of the three-year-old victim.

Marvin Grimm was convicted of first-degree murder, abduction, and sodomy and sentenced to life in prison on March 15, 1976. Grimm served 44 years in prison and was released on parole in 2019. DNA and other scientific analysis performed between 2002 and 2023 demonstrated that the evidence the Commonwealth relied upon to convict Grimm was invalid, leading Attorney General Miyares to support Grimm’s exoneration.

"The case of Marvin Grimm is a textbook example of why Virginia provides actual innocence relief. For the American experiment in self-government to continue to thrive, the government must be willing to admit when it makes mistakes. It is an honor to stand up for Mr. Grimm’s innocence in this case," said Attorney General Miyares.

Grimm’s exoneration is the second exoneration secured by Attorney General Miyares in two months, and the third obtained with support from the Miyares administration. On May 21, 2024, after Attorney General Miyares filed a notice in support of petitioner Keshawn Duffy, the Virginia Court of Appeals exonerated Mr. Duffy from wrongful convictions and two consecutive life sentences for forcible sodomy.

Read the court’s opinion here.

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