MINNEAPOLIS — A man convicted of first-degree murder nearly 30 years ago stands on the cusp of having his sentence adjusted to reflect the turnaround in his life, the first person to have this opportunity since a law was passed in 2023.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty met with reporters Wednesday to discuss what she believes is the first petition filed since Prosecutor-Initiated Sentencing Adjustment (PISA) became law. It involves a man named Jerome Nunn, who was convicted at age 19 of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder back in 1995.
"There is no doubt that the crime Jerome committed was terrible," Moriarty said.
A case file says Nunn fatally shot Abduel Poe and wounded a man named John Holmes in a dispute over drugs and money that had allegedly been stolen from him.
In the years since his conviction and incarceration, Moriarty, Nunn's attorney and others say he has made a remarkable transformation, earning three college degrees, becoming an ordained minister and helping to craft the Department of Corrections' restorative justice program. Poe's mother has also called for Nunn's release.
"Ms. Jones knows that he will do more good in the world as a free man, and that the world will benefit from his freedom," Laura Nirider, Jones' attorney, said. "Now, she is calling for his liberty."
Nunn was assigned to work release in April 2023, and is currently working for a nonprofit helping men and women released from prison re-integrate into the community. By filing the PISA petition, Moriarty is asking a judge to reduce the remainder of Nunn's sentence (supervised release) to time served to effectively end his commitment to Minnesota's criminal justice system and "get him into a place of unconditional freedom."
The movement to forgive Nunn for his crimes actually started back in 2014, fueled by the mother of the man he murdered. Danielle Jones told Nunn she forgave him and began advocating for his release from prison. In a breaking voice at Wednesday's press conference, Nunn thanked Jones - a woman who has become a spiritual mother of sorts to him - and vowed to seek atonement for his actions as a younger man, always mindful of the harm has caused.
"Every day I get up to make a difference," Nunn told reporters. "I stand appreciative - I stand grateful."
A Hennepin County judge will set a hearing for within the next 60 to 90 days to hear the petition and decide whether to end Nunn's sentence.