Simi Valley reaches $21M settlement with man cleared in killing of girlfriend, her son

Sunday, February 24, 2019
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- The city of Simi Valley reached a $21 million settlement with a man who spent nearly 40 years in prison in the killing of his girlfriend and her 4-year-old son.

Craig Coley was released in 2017 after he was pardoned by then-Gov. Jerry Brown, who said DNA evidence and re-investigation proved his innocence.
[Ads /]
Coley spent 39 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of killing his girlfriend and her son in 1978.

In a statement, Simi Valley's city manager said no amount of money can make up for what happened to Coley -- but settling this case is "the right thing to do for him."

Last year the state approved a separate, nearly $2 million payment for Coley, now 71.
[Ads /]
Coley's lawyer says the money offers some closure, though no amount can compensate him for the life he missed while imprisoned.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.