DC judge orders man who served 28 years for rape, murder free after DNA tests show innocence

DNA testing clears man who served 28 years

WASHINGTON — A man who spent 28 years in prison for a rape and murder has been freed after DNA testing showed he’s innocent.

Fifty-eight-year-old Donald Eugene Gates left the federal prison in Tucson, Ariz., on Tuesday, just hours after a Washington judge ordered his release.

Gates tells The Associated Press it feels “beautiful” to be free. He says his faith in God helped him get through his incarceration.

Judge Fred Ugast, who presided over Gates’ trial, ordered his release just hours before.

Gates was convicted of the 1981 rape and murder of 21-year-old Catherine Schilling.

Recent testing showed Gates is not a match for DNA found on Schilling’s body and the work of an FBI forensic analyst involved in the investigation has been called into question.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge in Washington has ordered a man who spent 28 years in prison for a rape and murder be released after DNA testing showed he’s innocent.

Prosecutors say 58-year-old Donald Eugene Gates is expected to be released Tuesday from a prison in Arizona. He’ll be given a bus ticket to Ohio, where he’s from, winter clothes and $75.

Judge Fred Ugast, who presided over Gates’ trial in the 1980s, says he’s grateful technology made it possible to “right a wrong.”

Gates was convicted of the 1981 rape and murder of 21-year-old Catherine Schilling in Washington’s Rock Creek Park.

Recent testing showed Gates is not a match for DNA found on Schilling’s body and the work of an FBI forensic analyst involved in the investigation has been called into question.