In a landmark decision that brings a close to a decades-long struggle for justice, Maurice Hastings, a 72-year-old man, has accepted a $25 million settlement from the city of Inglewood. Hastings spent 38 years in prison for a 1983 murder he did not commit, a wrongful conviction that has now been definitively overturned by DNA evidence and judicial declaration. This historic agreement is reportedly the largest wrongful conviction settlement ever recorded in California.
A Crime and a Conviction Cast in Doubt
The case dates back to 1983, when Roberta Wydermyer was carjacked, raped, and murdered in Inglewood, California. Her husband and a friend were also victims of attempted murder during the incident. Following two trials, Maurice Hastings was convicted in 1988 of the murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors had initially sought the death penalty. Crucially, from the outset, Hastings maintained his innocence, and the case against him was largely circumstantial, lacking definitive physical or forensic evidence tying him directly to the crime. Furthermore, numerous alibi witnesses attested to Hastings’ whereabouts during the time of the murder.
The Long Road to Exoneration
For over two decades, Hastings and his legal advocates repeatedly sought DNA testing of biological evidence, specifically semen found in the victim’s mouth, which he believed would prove his innocence. These requests were initially denied by multiple Los Angeles County District Attorneys. The turning point came with the involvement of former District Attorney George Gascón, who agreed to allow the testing. In June 2021, DNA analysis conclusively excluded Hastings and instead identified Kenneth Packnett as the perpetrator. Packnett was already serving a lengthy sentence for unrelated crimes, including kidnapping and sexual assault, and had died in prison in 2020.
Clearing a Name, Seeking Justice
Following the DNA breakthrough, Hastings’ conviction was vacated in 2022. In March 2023, a Superior Court judge formally declared him “factually innocent,” a designation signifying that the evidence conclusively proves he did not commit the crime. The subsequent civil rights lawsuit filed by Hastings against the City of Inglewood alleged that police officers had deliberately framed him. According to his legal team, the lawsuit detailed how a detective allegedly fixated on Hastings, coerced eyewitnesses, suppressed alibi evidence, and buried crucial exonerating evidence. The settlement, announced in September 2025, resolves these allegations.
A Welcome End to a Long Journey
Hastings, who spent 38 years incarcerated from the age of 31 to 69, expressed a profound sense of closure, though he acknowledged that no amount of money can truly compensate for the lost years. “No amount of money could ever restore the 38 years of my life that were stolen from me,” Hastings stated. “But this settlement is a welcome end to a very long road, and I look forward to moving on with my life.”. His legal team, including representatives from Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger and the Los Angeles Innocence Project, highlighted the settlement’s significance and issued a warning to law enforcement agencies.
This extensive news covers a critical development in the Los Angeles area, bringing a spotlight to the profound impact of wrongful convictions and the persistent fight for accountability within the justice system. The record-breaking settlement offers a measure of financial restitution for Hastings, whose journey from wrongful conviction to exoneration serves as a stark reminder of the flaws that can exist within legal proceedings.
