Man Gets $1 Million For Serving 17 Years In Prison In Place Of His Doppelganger

Most of us would love the idea of having a doppelganger. Having a person who looks just like you is as dramatic as real life gets, but the drama can only be enjoyed until you are not forced to serve 17 years in prison instead of your other half.

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Man Served 17 Years In Prison Instead Of His Doppelganger, Wins USD 1 Million

Richard Jones was falsely accused and imprisoned for an aggravated robbery back in 2000 when witnesses saw his picture and declared him the culprit of another man who looked just like him. Years later, it was uncovered that the robbery was actually committed by his doppelganger, Ricky Amos.

The crime for which Jones had to serve prison time for 17 years was a robbery that took place at a Walmart parking lot in Roeland Park, Kansas, USA.

At the crime scene, a man attempted to snatch a handbag from a woman in the parking lot.

Things could have gone in Jones¡¯ favour since he did have an alibi; he told the police that at the time of the robbery he was with his girlfriend in Kansas City, but due to a lack of evidence, the man was put behind bars.

Things took a turn for the worse in the case when an eyewitness identified Jones as the culprit and gave their testimony against the man who was innocent. Even after being convicted, Jones tried to appeal the verdict many times but was denied the right.

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Richard Jones' Doppelganger Was Imprisoned For Another Crime In The Same Jail

After some time, the case caught the Midwest Innocence Project and the University of Kansas School of Law¡¯s attention, and they tried to unearth the truth behind this case of the doppelganger. They discovered that Jones¡¯ other half was actually already serving a sentence in the same jail and could be the answer to the puzzling case. The name of the man was Ricky Amos.

The witnesses were again shown the mugshots of both men, and they were unable to tell them apart. The lack of evidence and the new testimonies of the eyewitnesses led to Jones¡¯ freedom after being in prison for almost two decades. As compensation, Jones was awarded USD 1 million for being falsely accused and charged.

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