On September 24, 2025, the story of Maurice Hastings, a 72-year-old man wrongfully imprisoned for nearly 38 years, draws fresh attention. His journey—from conviction, through years of hopelessness, to eventual exoneration and a landmark settlement—holds lessons about justice, persistence, and systems that fail.
The Arrest, Trial, and Life Sentence:
In 1983, Roberta Wydermyer was murdered in Inglewood, California. The prosecution alleged she was sexually assaulted and shot, then her body hidden in a car trunk.
Maurice Hastings was arrested and tried for her murder, the attempted murder of her husband, and related charges. His first trial ended in a hung jury. A second trial convicted him; he received life in prison without parole.
Throughout his incarceration, Hastings maintained his innocence and pushed for DNA testing of sexual assault evidence—requests that were repeatedly denied for decades.
Turning Point: DNA Evidence & Legal Action:
In 2022, after persistent efforts by Hastings, his legal team, and advocates, DNA tests were finally run. The tests showed the genetic profile from the crime scene did not match Hastings. Instead, the DNA matched Kenneth Packnett, a person with a record who had some possession of items matching the victim’s at the time.
In 2023, after joint motions by prosecutors and the Innocence Project, a California Superior Court judge formally declared Hastings factually innocent.
Aftermath and The $25 Million Settlement:
On September 23, 2025, the City of Inglewood agreed to a $25 million settlement in his civil rights lawsuit. Hastings’s attorneys said this was likely the largest wrongful-conviction payout in California history.
Hastings responded in a statement:
“No amount of money could ever restore the 38 years of my life that were stolen from me.”
Though the payment can’t give back lost years, it represents validation of his innocence and accountability for misconduct.
Broader Implications & Reflections:
This case underscores several systemic issues:
- Evidence withholding and denial of DNA testing. Hastings had asked for DNA tests as early as 2000, but was denied.
- Misconduct by law enforcement and prosecutors. Claims include falsification of evidence, suppression of alibi evidence, coerced witness identifications, and failure to investigate the true suspect.
- The human cost. Hastings lost decades of his life: family time, health, freedom, opportunities. The settlement cannot fully compensate.
- A warning to institutions. The payout sends a message that wrongful convictions carry legal and financial risk for cities and agencies.
Hastings now lives in Southern California. He is active in his church and works with community groups feeding people experiencing homelessness.
His story joins many others in the movement for criminal justice reform, for more rigorous standards on evidence, and for mechanisms to catch and correct wrongful convictions before they ruin lives.
