Jesse Johnson was arrested 25 years ago for the murder of nursing aide Harriet Thompson in her home.

He was convicted in 2004 and sentenced to death.

Now 62, Mr Johnson walked out of an Oregon county jail a free man while prosecutors debate a retrial for the fatal stabbing of Ms Thompson.

His freedom comes two years after the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed his conviction.

His case was dismissed based on "the amount of time" passed and the "unavailability of critical evidence", with the state saying it could "no longer believe that it can prove the defendant's guilt".

Mr Johnson, a black man, repeatedly claimed innocence over the years, refusing a plea bargain - a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt - along the way.

The Oregon Innocence Project (OIP), which represented Mr Johnson during the appeal process, claimed racism played a role in his wrongful imprisonment.

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Key witness ignored

The group said Mr Johnson's defence lawyers failed to interview a key witness who saw a white man fleeing the home of Ms Thompson the night of the murder.

This crucial cog was Patricia Hubbard, Ms Thompson's neighbour, who investigators only contacted after Mr Johnson was convicted.

Ms Hubbard said she had seen a white man park his van in the victim's driveway in the early hours of 20 March 1998 before entering her home.

Seconds later, Ms Hubbard heard screaming coming from Ms Thompson's house, a thud and then silence.

She said she then saw the white man run from the house.

Soon after the murder, police visited Ms Hubbard's house and she alleged the detective said a black woman was murdered and that a black man was "going to pay for it".

The Oregon Court of Appeals noted Mr Johnson's defence team failed to interview the witness when it reversed his murder conviction in October 2021.

His representatives accused the state of committing a "heinous injustice" in its handling of the case.

Steve Wax, OIP legal chief, said the state resisted requests for additional DNA testing that could have revealed other suspects - adding Mr Johnson's DNA was not found on any of the analysed murder evidence.

No other suspect has been identified in the murder despite an "ongoing investigation", prosecutors said.

'Left with absolutely nothing'

Despite being freed, Mr Wax said the 62-year-old "has been left with absolutely nothing by the State of Oregon".

"He didn't even get the paltry amount of gate money that someone would usually get when released because the dismissal of his case means he isn't entitled to it," Mr Wax added.

Oregon's state attorney did not immediately respond to requests by the Associated Press for comment.