“All charges have been dropped.”

Anthony Graves looked at her, dumbfounded.

“You’re free,” she said more emphatically. “You’re going home.”

“Are you playing with me?” he whispered.

Cásarez shook her head. “It’s over,” she said. “It’s finally over.”

On the table beside her was a dismissal order from the court filed at 3:57 p.m. that stated, “We have found no credible evidence which inculpates this defendant.” The decision to drop all charges had come so suddenly that the defense team had only learned the news earlier that afternoon. As Graves leaned against Cásarez, he broke down.

By Pamela Colloff, Texas Monthly

(follow-up to Innocence Lost, 2010)