Man freed from prison after exoneration of murder charge

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A man imprisoned for nearly 25 years for murder has been released from prison after being exonerated by prosecutors and a California law school clinic. The Indianapolis Star reports 47-year-old Leon Benson left the Correctional Industrial Facility in Pendleton a free man Thursday after an investigation revealed police failed to disclose key evidence, including information implicating someone else in the crime. Benson described his release as “surreal.” Benson was convicted of the murder of Kasey Schoen, who was shot five times while sitting in his truck near downtown Indianapolis early on Aug. 8, 1998. Benson was convicted in July 1999 and sentenced to 61 years in prison.