Click here for updates on this story
Norfolk, VA (WTKR) — The city has reached a settlement with the Norfolk Four and will pay them $4.9 million, City Attorney Bernie Pishko confirms to News 3.
The so-called “Norfolk Four” were four sailors convicted of killing and raping a woman in 1997, but it was later revealed a crooked cop forced them into the confessions and another man actually committed the crimes.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe fully pardoned Danial Williams, Joseph Dick, Derek Tice and Eric Wilson in 2017. Earlier this year, the General Assembly and Gov. Northam approved paying them $3.5 million, so in total the four will get $8.4 million.
The defendants were convicted because of their coerced confessions, even though the real rapist and murderer, Omar Ballard, confessed in 1999 to committing the crime alone and his DNA was found at the crime scene, the legislation stated.
Ballard is currently an inmate at Sussex II State Prison and serving two life terms plus 42 years for capital murder, two rapes, two counts of malicious wounding, and abduction.
News 3 reached to attorneys for the Four, but they didn’t immediately return phone calls. The Associated Press first reported the settlement.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
