Man whose murder conviction was vacated after 16 years is freed and speaks publicly for the first time

A man who spent 16 years behind bars until a judge vacated his murder sentence last week said he never gave up hope of getting his freedom back.

He just didn’t know when that day would come.

“I just didn’t know when, and that’s the problem. You know it’s going to happen, but the system is so slow,” Edgar Barrientos-Quintana said at a news conference Tuesday. “Happy to be out here. It’s the best week and more to come.”

Barrientos-Quintana was found guilty of killing 18-year-old Roosevelt High School student Jesse Mickelson in a 2008 drive-by shooting. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office took a second look at the case, and his office’s Conviction Review Unit found there was evidence supporting Barrientos-Quintana’s claim of innocence that was never presented to a jury, including a video showing he was in Maplewood about 30 minutes before the shooting happened, as well as information that Barrientos-Quintana didn’t match descriptions of the shooters given by witnesses.

Last week, Judge John McBride vacated Barrientos-Quintana’s conviction and ordered his release, saying the 41-year-old father of two did not receive a fair trial.

“This is such an incredible day for Edgar and his family,” said his attorney Julie Jonas, who has worked on the case for the past 11 years, starting when she was with the Great North Innocence Project. “Today we move forward and [are] thankful that even though justice was delayed, it was not denied.”

Barrientos-Quintana was all smiles at Tuesday’s press event and thanked everybody who had a role in seeking his release, including his family who kept him going.

“They were my support from day one,” Barrientos-Quintana said.

Tina Rosebear, one of Mickelson’s sisters, met Barrientos-Quintana Tuesday to lend her support; she agreed with the decision to set a wrongly imprisoned man free.

“We got justice for Edgar,” she said. “I hope any situation like this gets fully investigated so this never happens to anybody ever again. You got this. I am happy for you.”

Added Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, “Nothing can give Mr. Barrientos-Quintana back those 16 years, and for that, we are so sorry. Our hearts are also with the family of Jesse Mickelson over their irreparable loss. When the criminal legal system does not function ethically, it causes significant harm.’’