Prosecutor asks judge to overturn murder conviction

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee prosecutor's office is asking a judge to overturn the conviction of man serving life in a 1998 slaying after finding new evidence.

The Davidson County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion Thursday in the case of Joseph Webster, who was convicted of murder in the killing Leroy Owens, The Tennessean reported. The move comes after a unit in the prosecutor's office investigated the case and found new evidence not presented at trial.

“The Conviction Review Unit no longer has confidence in the conviction of Mr. Webster,” the motion states. “We recommend Mr. Webster’s conviction be vacated and the charges against him dismissed.”

Evidence not presented at trial includes several allegations against another suspect and DNA evidence that excludes Webster as a contributor.

“Mr. Webster is immeasurably grateful to those who took the time to conduct a thorough reinvestigation of his case and see that this wrong was righted," his attorney, Daniel Horwitz, said in an email.

The District Attorney’s office declined to comment while the motion is pending. A judge must approve the motion to dismiss the case before it is finalized.