A Nevada federal jury awarded $34 million to Kirstin Lobato on Thursday after she was wrongly convicted twice and imprisoned for nearly 16 years for a 2001 Las Vegas murder she didn't commit.
Lobato will receive $34 million in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages from two retired detectives.
"It's been an uphill battle with many, many obstacles," Lobato told reporters. "I'm happy that it's all finally finished."
Lobato, now 41, and known as Blaise, was arrested at 18-years-old for the killing of Duran Bailey, a homeless man found beaten to death, reported CNN.
Despite no physical evidence or witnesses linking her to the crime, police alleged she confessed to killing Bailey during a drug-fueled encounter.
In 2002, Lobato was convicted of murder, but the Nevada Supreme Court overturned the verdict in 2004. She was retried in 2006, convicted of lesser charges, and sentenced to up to 45 years.
In 2017, she was exonerated after new evidence proved she was 150 miles away during the murder.
The jury determined that Las Vegas police fabricated evidence and intentionally inflicted emotional distress on Lobato.
Originally published by Latin Times
