A 35-Year Injustice: Woman Freed After New DNA Evidence Emerges

The United States is abuzz with news of a particularly tragic case involving a woman who spent 35 years in prison for a crime she didn't commit.

68-year-old Cathy Woods began serving her sentence in 1980 for a murder she was alleged to have committed. At the time, Woods's mental health was in a poor state, which investigators exploited to extract a confession of killing 19-year-old Michele Rachel in 1979.

Woods's arrest was a mistake, yet the judge in her trial relied solely on the 'evidence' presented—confessions obtained from doctors and other professionals at the psychiatric hospital where Woods was staying at that time.

Recently, the identity of the true murderer was revealed, thanks to DNA found on a cigarette butt from the crime scene.

Woods filed a lawsuit three years ago upon her release, seeking millions in compensation. A settlement was recently reached, granting her $3 million.