Lamar Johnson denies role in killing that led to life term

By JIM SALTER
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri man seeking freedom after nearly three decades in prison for a murder he denies committing testified Thursday that he was with his girlfriend on the night of the crime, except for a few minutes when he stepped outside to sell drugs on a corner several blocks from where the victim was killed. A hearing in St. Louis this week will determine if Lamar Johnson’s conviction should be vacated. An investigation conducted by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner and the Innocence Project convinced Gardner that Johnson is innocent. She filed a motion in August to vacate his conviction. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office is seeking to keep Johnson incarcerated.