Baltimore Man Who Was Accused of Murder and Stood Trial 4 Times Is Freed After Charges Are Dismissed

A man wrongly accused of fatally shooting a security guard in 2015 and tried four times for the same murder was released from prison on Friday after Maryland's State Attorney dismissed the charges, according to a press release.

"I fully recognize the pain and anguish that repeated unsuccessful prosecutions have caused the victim's family, and I truly sympathize with them," stated State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates. "Still, as State's Attorney, I have a duty to ensure justice for all, not just the victim but also the accused."

On June 7, 2015, Keith Davis, Jr., was accused of killing Kevin Jones, a security guard at the Pimlico Race Course track in Baltimore. Police accused Davis of the crime and claimed his gun matched the casings found at the scene, NBC News reported.

Davis declared his innocence from the start and said police set him up, the station reported.

On the morning of the murder, police chased Davis into an auto repair shop for an unrelated attempted robbery investigation and fired 44 rounds, striking him three times.

Davis survived the shooting and went on trial for the robbery. He was found not guilty, but police later charged him with the murder of Jones, CBS Baltimore reported.

He was tried four times, which led to two mistrials, an acquittal and an overturned verdict — under the leadership of Marilyn Mosby, the previous state's attorney general. Bates, who was elected and sworn in earlier this month, said he was determined to right the wrongs.

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"Today's dismissal is about the prosecutorial missteps of my predecessor in her pursuit of a conviction at all costs," he stated.

Davis' wife Kelly never believed her husband pulled the trigger and spent the last seven years fighting for his freedom, including creating a website that listed the injustice surrounding her husband's case.

On Friday, she tweeted her reaction to the news: "To [the] overwhelming amount of community, near or far, I want to say Thank you for your support and the myriad of ways in which you all showed up and you gave your time, your energy, and your unwavering support," she said. "We could never have done this without you, We believe we could Win and We Did!"

Meanwhile, Jones' grandmother Earlene Neals was saddened and shocked at the news, CBS News Baltimore reported. She told the station the police have not contacted her.

"I don't think they're going to be interested," she said. "I really don't think they're going to do anything sufficient to bring… justice. I don't. Kevin didn't deserve any of this."

Bates told reporters the case remains an open investigation, and he asked the police commissioner to have investigators take a "fresh look" at the case, WBAL reported.