MINNEAPOLIS — The man of the hour was a little camera-shy, but Edgar Barrientos-Quintana, freed from prison, briefly spoke Tuesday.
"Well, I just wanted to thank everyone behind me, here, who had a role for me to be free," Barrientos-Quintana said.
He is free after serving more than 15 years behind bars for the death of Jesse Mickelson, an 18-year-old whose family now stands behind Barrientos-Quintana.
"I gave him a big hug and I apologized, even though he knows it's not my fault. He missed a lot of years from being wrongfully convicted," said Tina Rosebear, Jesse's sister. "I just want to say I'm very grateful that you, Edgar, he gets to be home with his family for the holidays."
In the case that was featured on the A&E series "The First 48," Barrientos-Quintana was quickly identified as a suspect. But a second look conducted by the state's conviction review unit drew renewed attention to his alibi, that he was shopping in Maplewood with his girlfriend and could not have made it to Minneapolis in enough time to commit the drive-by shooting.
"He's free now, and now I can sleep peacefully knowing he's free," Rosebear said.
In addition, the judge who tossed out the conviction last week criticized the prosecutors for not sharing information that could have helped Barrientos-Quintana's defense, and criticized the identification procedures used by police.
"Nothing can give Mr. Barrientos-Quintana back those 16 years, and for that, we are so sorry," said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
Moriarty says she's determined not to let something similar happen again.
As for Barrientos-Quintana, he says he never gave up hope.
"I always knew it was going to happen, but, the system, you know?" Barrientos-Quintana said.
Moriarty announced her prosecutors will receive training on eyewitness identification. She mentioned the name of another possible suspect in Mickelson's murder, but does not know if he is even still alive or whether he will be charged.
The Minneapolis Police Department has stood by its investigation, but Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said in a statement Tuesday that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has agreed to review the case files.
"I have come to know Assistant Chief Gaiters as a deeply dedicated and humble public servant. He is immensely qualified to serve as Assistant Chief of Community Trust and Engagement, and I am thankful he continues to serve our residents daily. He has my full support," O'Hara said.