RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Richmond is taking the first steps towards correcting a decades long mistake. City Council is working to find a way to pay Marvin Grimm $5.8 million after he spent 45 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit.

A special meeting was held Monday, August 25, but it only lasted about three minutes. Councilmembers said it was set as more of a formality, so they can move forward with getting Grimm his money.

“While nothing can restore the decades of life he lost, we are committed to taking action and moving swiftly to see this through,” Mayor Danny Avula said in a statement.

Grimm was arrested in 1975 in Richmond for the murder of a 3-year-old boy in his neighborhood. He took a guilty plea to avoid the death penalty, even though he was innocent.

For years, he pe

See Full Page