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DNA Exonerates Man in Prison

A DNA test recently helped free a man serving a life sentence for the killing of a woman outside a Pittsburgh restaurant in 1988. Drew Whitley, 50, had been in prison since the fatal shooting of Noreen Malloy, 22. He was released on Monday, after it was proven that his DNA was not on the killer`s clothing.

He says, "I want to thank God for keeping me strong through this nightmare." His mother, Hattie Whitley, said, "It don`t get no better than this...it`s wonderful." There reports that prosecutors dropped charges after tests on hairs taken from the killer`s hat showed it was not Whitley`s DNA.

The hat, a bloody coat, shoes and stocking mask were found outside the restaurant Malloy managed. Whitley was fingered by a witness based on the shape of his face and his gait. During his 1989 trial, a crime lab technician said hairs found in the mask resembled Whitley`s hair. Two of the 41 hairs were damaged during testing in the 1990s and the remaining 39 were lost. A judge ordered a DNA test after the hairs were found in July.