Lowell man proved innocent of murder in 1986 and awarded $13 million

Local News

“The million dollars can make a big difference in his life. He’s excited about it. Did he wish there had been 13? Sure,” said his lawyer.

A Massachusetts man sentenced to 26 years in prison for murder was found innocent by a jury last week and fined $13 million. However, state law limits that amount to a maximum of $1 million.

Michael Sullivan of Lowell was convicted in 1987 of the murder of Wilfred McGrath, who was found dead the previous year wrapped in a quilt behind an abandoned Stop & Shop in Somerville, according to court documents.

A jury concluded that he had proven “by clear and convincing evidence” that he was innocent of murder, armed robbery and all other related charges. The jury decided he should be paid $4 million for his loss of liberty and $9 million for his pain, suffering and emotional distress.

A state law limits the amount of damages the state pays in wrongful conviction lawsuits to $1 million.

Sullivan’s lawyer said so The Boston Globe More importantly, he was completely acquitted of the crime.

“The million dollars can make a big difference in his life. He’s excited about it. Would he have liked it when he was 13? Secure. But he has no concerns about it,” said Michael Heineman globe. “His main concern was getting that explanation because he still hears people whispering, ‘Ah, he got off on a technicality.’

What happened in 1986?

Sullivan was 26 when he was convicted of murder and armed robbery in 1987. He remained in prison until 2013. The criminal proceedings against him were dropped in 2019.

Gary Grace, who Sullivan and his lawyers claim actually committed the crime, gave false statements to police in exchange for a plea deal, while a Massachusetts State Police chemical analyst falsely attributed physical evidence to Sullivan, his lawyers said.

According to a complaint filed in Suffolk Superior Court, there was compelling evidence against Grace, including “overwhelming forensic evidence” that proved his apartment was a crime scene. Grace pleaded guilty and testified that Sullivan hit McGrath.

While another person involved testified that Sullivan was not involved, another piece of evidence at the crime scene proved he was. Robert Pino, the chemical analyst, claimed blood and hair were found on Sullivan’s jacket, which made him suspicious, the complaint says.

Pino was fired from the MSP crime lab in 2007 after working as a chemist for more than two decades, the complaint says. He “allowed the collection of samples that were not legally reported, reported incomplete results to the police, and reported DNA database matches to the prosecutor’s office only after the statute of limitations for the offenses had expired,” the complaint says.

Sullivan’s request to retest his clothing was approved in 2011. His jacket tested negative for blood and McGrath’s DNA was not found. The test comparing the hair to McGrath’s was “inconclusive,” the complaint says.

“Pino merely fabricated evidence,” the complaint states, “evidence that will make the difference between guilt and innocence.”

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Molly Farrar is a general reporter for Boston.com covering education, politics, crime and more.

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