“Charles Collins and Brian Boles served significant time in jail and suffered the devastating consequences of their unjust convictions for decades,” said District Attorney Bragg. “We cannot undo the harm to their lives, but it is never too late to do what is right. I also want to acknowledge the pain still felt by the family of Mr. Reid, whose life was lost in this terrible act of violence. Unjust convictions not only hurt impacted individuals, but also undermine faith in the criminal justice system, which makes all of us less safe. I want to commend our Post-Conviction Justice Unit for an incredibly rigorous and thorough investigation that included new DNA testing in partnership with OCME, which was not possible at the time of the original investigation. I hope that Mr. Collins and Mr. Boles can take some measure of comfort now that their convictions are officially vacated.”