RICHMOND, Va. — Governor Glenn Youngkin has given the city of Richmond a deadline to pay $5.8 million to a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for 44 years for the 1975 murder of a toddler.
In a letter sent to Richmond Mayor Danny Avula, Youngkin gave the city two weeks to compensate Marvin Leon Grimm or face withholding of state funding. The deadline for payment is August 15.
Grimm was exonerated in June 2023 after DNA evidence proved he was not responsible for the murder and sexual assault of a 3-year-old boy whose body was found on the banks of the James River in Richmond in November 1975.
"The background that led to Mr. Grimm's wrongful imprisonment is horrific. In order to secure a conviction, employees of the city did illegal and despicable things to a human being and a fellow citizen of Richmond," Youngkin said in his letter to the mayor.
Grimm was 20 years old and a Navy veteran when he was arrested. He lived across the street from the child's family. After confessing to the crime, which he later claimed was coerced, Grimm pleaded guilty to murder in 1976 and was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years.
After serving 44 years, Grimm was released on parole in 2019. In May 2023, he filed a writ of actual innocence, claiming that the evidence brought against him and his confession were coerced.
In a press release issued on Friday, Mayor Avula said the city has been working to identify funding sources and that he and the City Council will convene a special meeting to formally introduce an ordinance to address the restitution.
“My Chief Administrative Officer has been working to identify appropriate funding sources, and we will move swiftly. What Mr. Grimm endured was unconscionable,” Avula said in the release. “While nothing can restore the decades of life Mr. Grimm lost, we are committed to addressing this injustice.”
The General Assembly had previously ruled that the city of Richmond must pay compensation to Grimm, and Youngkin's letter serves to enforce that ruling.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
