larry mullins exonerated after spending 32 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
On April 24, 2026, Larry Mullins was exonerated and released from SCI Forest after serving more than 30 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Mr. Mullins was wrongfully convicted following the shooting death of Travis Hughston on January 1, 1993. At the time of the shooting, Mr. Mullins was spending time with his cousin at her home.
On the night of the shooting, an eyewitness, Colie Baxter, identified a local drug dealer with a history of violence as one of the men fleeing the scene in a light-colored vehicle. A second eyewitness, Ernestine Williams, who lived in the neighborhood, was questioned by police on numerous occasions and made six different statements. Williams initially told police she did not witness the shooting, and only heard the gunshots. More than eight months after the shooting, and several statements later, Ms. Willams told detectives for the first time that “the man who shot Travis is named Larry.” The following day she identified Larry Mullins and James Kelly. A few weeks later, Colie Baxter, was re-interviewed by police, and identified Mr. Mullins as a man he saw fleeing the scene.
Larry Mullins and James Kelly were charged with first degree murder and tried before a death qualified jury. Mr. Hughston’s brother testified for the defense. He recounted that Ms. Williams told him that three other men had actually killed his brother. At trial, the lead detective obfuscated, saying their names had come up, but not as the shooters. After the jury convicted Mr. Mullins and Mr. Kelly, the Commonwealth sought to have both men executed. The judge, however, refused and sentenced both Mr. Mullins and Mr. Kelly to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
In the summer of 2025, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office turned over law enforcement’s files which established what Mr. Mullins had always maintained. Investigators failed to disclose numerous documents revealing the true perpetrators. Detectives failed to disclose that Colie Baxter had originally identified a member of a violent drug organization, who was the key alternative suspect in the case. That same individual had financial ties to Ernestine Williams, she had sold him her home just weeks before she identified Mr. Mullins for the first time. Detectives had also obtained a wealth of additional evidence linking the organization and its members to the killing, including multiple witness statements implicating the true perpetrators, none of which were ever disclosed.
On July 18, 2024, James Kelly was exonerated based on these revelations. On June 11, 2025, after the suppressed evidence was disclosed to Mr. Mullins, the Phillips Black team filed a PCRA petition and habeas petition on his behalf. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit conducted a comprehensive review of the case and concluded that Mr. Mullins’ convictions should also be vacated. On April 24, 2026, the Honorable Judge Anthony Kyriakakis vacated Mr. Mullins’ conviction, and the Commonwealth dismissed all charges against him. Mr. Mullins was released that day.