A Missouri Man Wrongly Convicted Of Murder Is Still Awaiting Release

A Missouri man hopes to walk out of prison today after serving nearly two decades for a murder he did not commit, in a case one judge called "manifest injustice." David Robinson was kept behind bars, even though another man confessed to the crime in 2004.

Robinson isn't the only one who says he's innocent; in February, a state judge agreed with him, and two weeks ago, the Missouri Supreme Court ordered his release.

And yet, Robinson remains in prison.

"Been a living nightmare. It's been an up-and-down rollercoaster," Robinson told "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty. 

In 2001, Robinson was convicted of the murder of Sheila Box, a 36-year-old mother. She was found in her car a year earlier in Sikeston, Missouri, dead of a single gunshot wound to the chest. 

Box's daughter, Crystal King, was 17 when she lost her mom. "I was in disbelief," she told Moriarty. "It changed my world forever. I have memories of dancing with her in the living room. She was extremely beautiful, loving, and caring."

Police believed Robinson, who had a history of drug crimes, shot Box during a drug deal. 

"That bothered me more than anything, to be wrongfully accused of killing a woman," Robinson said. 

But there was little to tie Robinson to the murder: No physical evidence, just one eyewitness, Albert Baker, a paid police informant who claimed he saw Robinson shoot Box at a busy intersection. 

Filmmaker Steve Turner, who is working on a documentary about the case, said, "There were no three or four eyewitnesses who saw him shoot her; there was just one guy who had a crazy story, and bam, he's gone." 

There was also an inmate who claimed that Robinson confessed to him when they shared a cell. It turns out, according to Robinson's attorney Charlie Weiss, "He was never in the same cell as David Robinson, and the prosecution put him on the stand even though they knew he had never shared the same cell."

Robinson was sentenced to life without parole. 

To read the complete story you can do so by clicking here. 

Unfortunately there are many cases like this that will never receive any media attention it deserves. I am happy though for Mr. Robinson and I definitely wish him the best of luck. It's truly crazy how he was convicted based off lies and literally nothing.