Imprisoned for life as a teen, 34-year-old finds his voice

BAYPORT, Minn. — During his free time, Myon Burrell sits at a desk in his small, tidy prison cell. He sifts through police records, court transcripts and witness statements, taking breaks and pacing the floor while trying to digest the inconsistencies that landed him here 17 years ago.

When frustrated or angry, he lies on his cot and covers his face, waiting to regain his composure so he can dig back in. All he can do is hope and pray.

He was convicted and sentenced to life for killing an 11-year old girl, Tyesha Edwards, who was sitting at her dining room table doing her homework when she was struck by a stray bullet. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the then-district attorney, trumpeted her prosecution of Burrell as part of her tough-on-crime stance as a top Minneapolis prosecutor. But a yearlong Associated Press investigation discovered major flaws and inconsistencies in the case, raising questions as to whether Burrell, who was 16 at the time, may have been wrongly convicted.

The allegation that she may have helped imprison a black teenager on faulty evidence and questionable witnesses has dogged Klobuchar, who suspended her presidential campaign Monday.

Following immense criticism from the black community, Klobuchar has called for a review of Burrell’s case. But her successor at the county attorney’s office, Mike Freeman, has doubled down, releasing a statement expressing confidence in its handling. His office and the Minneapolis Police Department have declined multiple requests for comment.

“We believe the right man was convicted in this heinous crime,” Freeman said in a video statement posted to YouTube last month. “However, as we have said before, if new evidence is submitted to us, we will gladly review it.“

It’s unclear if all the attention will...