A Pennsylvania judge has overturned the convictions of three men imprisoned for decades in the 1997 slaying of a 70-year-old woman, despite their DNA never matching that found at the scene. Derrick Chappell, Morton Johnson, and Sam Grasty, known as the "Chester Trio," were convicted in separate trials and sentenced to life in prison for the killing of Henrietta Nickens in Chester, Pennsylvania. The three defendants were charged and convicted even though DNA testing at the time showed that semen found in the victim's body and on a jacket at the scene did not match any of them.

The judge's ruling came after new DNA evidence was presented, pointing to an unknown man as the killer, and excluding the trio. The new DNA testing techniques revealed a mixture of the unknown man's semen, the victim's blood, and urine on her bedsheet, showing that the beating and sex occurred at about the same time. The prosecution argued that their initial trials did not connect the semen to the defendants, and suggested the victim may have had a secret sexual partner.

The men, now in their 40s, have maintained their innocence over the two decades they have been imprisoned. The ruling by Delaware County Judge Mary Alice Brennan granted their request for a new trial, sparking a range of emotions from the trio. Attorneys representing the men expressed relief and gratitude, emphasizing the importance of the judge's decision in vindicating their long protests of innocence.

However, Chappell, Johnson, and Grasty remain behind bars as prosecutors have up to 30 days to decide whether to appeal the ruling. A bail hearing is set for May 23 to determine if the men will be released pending a new trial. The case is just one of a number of murder convictions to be overturned years afterward, highlighting the importance of new DNA evidence in cases of wrongful conviction.