# Georgia man exonerated after 21 years in prison

> Marquez Powell was exonerated on Thursday after spending nearly 21 years in a Georgia prison for a 2005 murder he maintained he did not commit. A Fulton County judge vacated his conviction following a…

**Published**: 2026-06-20
**Source**: https://gps.press/gps-news/georgia-man-exonerated-after-21-years-in-prison/
**Author**: GPS Staff

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Marquez Powell was exonerated on Thursday after spending nearly 21 years in a Georgia prison for a 2005 murder he maintained he did not commit. A Fulton County judge vacated his conviction following a joint motion from the Georgia Innocence Project and the Fulton County District Attorney's Office Conviction Integrity Unit, which cited newly developed DNA evidence that undermined the prosecution's theory. Prosecutors subsequently dismissed all charges, and Powell was released from Hancock State Prison. The Georgia Innocence Project has now helped free 17 wrongfully convicted individuals in the state.