(NewsNation) — A Minnesota man who spent nearly three decades behind bars for a 1998 murder was released Thursday after a judge vacated his conviction and prosecutors conceded he was wrongfully convicted.

Bryan Hooper Sr. had been serving a minimum sentence of 30 years after a jury convicted him in the death of 77-year-old Ann Prazniak, whose wrapped body had been found within a cardboard box at her Minneapolis residence. The woman had been asphyxiated, officials said.

Hooper’s conviction hinged on the testimony of witnesses who later recanted, including Chalaka Young. She reportedly confessed to killing Prazniak and hiding her body. Initially, Young claimed she was Hooper’s lookout as he attacked the woman and then forced her to help conceal the corpse.

“The courts have affirmed what B

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