Philly DA asks judge to free Walter Ogrod for 1988 murder after new DNA evidence

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has asked a judge to release Walter Ogrod, who has been serving nearly three decades on death row.

The request comes after new DNA evidence was discovered in the case
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Ogrod was convicted in the July 1988 murder of Barbara Jean Horn.

RELATED: New DNA evidence could free man behind bars for 1988 murder of Barbara Jean Horn


The 4-year-old's body was found stuffed in a television box on a curb in front of her Castor Gardens home.

After years of dead-end leads, police arrested Ogrod in 1992, and he gave a confession.
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Ogrod went to trial twice-- the first was declared a mistrial.



He was convicted in October of 1996, but Ogrod and his family maintained all along that his confession was coerced by police.

In a court filing, Krasner said there exists no credible evidence to prove Ogrod was the person who murdered Barbara Jean.

Krasner is asking a judge to release him without a hearing which is right now scheduled for later this month.