A dad has walked free from prison 25 years after being wrongfully jailed for his wife's murder.
Thomas Rhodes, 63, from Minnesota, US, was on an evening boat ride with his wife Jane, 36, when she fell overboard and drowned on Green Lake in Spice in 1996.
He was convicted in 1998 of first- and second-degree murder after the case relied on a doctor's testimony who testified Rhodes deliberately killed his wife and ran over her body several times.
Rhodes, who was released from prison on Friday, said he was looking forward to hugging his sons after all these years.
He told Mankato Free Press: "I look forward to hugging my sons Eric and Jason, being a good grandfather to my six wonderful grandkids, and having time to create new memories with family and friends."
The tragic drowning happened when the husband and wife went on their jet boat for a late night cruise.
Jane stood up on the boat as she went to grab an item but fell into the water.
The husband desperately searched for the 36-year-old but due to the darkness could not find her.
Rhodes contacted police and reported her missing but her body was not found until the next day.
During Rhodes' trial two years later, Dr. Michael McGee said the husband grabbed his wife's neck and threw her overboard and ran her over.
He claimed two injuries to her head and neck were inconsistent with drowning and said he could have killed her even if she had not drowned.
However, Rhodes always denied the murder.
But now a forensic pathologist has found the death was not inconsistent with an accident.
The prosecution's case rested on convincing the jury Rhodes wanted to divorce his wife due to financial concerns but instead killed her.
Rhodes, who had previously had an affair during their relationship, had got back together with his wife.
The Conviction Review Unit in the Attorney General's Office reviewed the case and a forensic pathologist found Jane's death was not inconsistent with an accidental fall.
It said: "'With the benefit of a thorough review of all the evidence and circumstances, the CRU found that the medical evidence used in Mr. Rhodes' conviction was flawed."
However, the report did not completely exonerate Rhodes as they said there was sufficient evidence to support a conviction of second-degree manslaughter - believing negligence led to his wife's death.
Rhodes, who has spent nearly 25 years in prison, is the first person to be released Minnesota since the Conviction Review Unit was created in 2021.
They review legal cases for people who claim to be innocent.
Rhodes was released on Friday after a Kandiyohi County judge vacated Rhodes' murder convictions to second-degree manslaughter.
The husband was sentenced to four years in prison but had credit for the time he served, which led to his release, the corrections department said.
