Keith Harward could be walking free Thursday.
This afternoon, the Virginia Supreme Court granted Harward a Writ of Actual Innocence. That means he is clear from any wrongdoing in the murder of a Newport News man and rape of the murdered man's wife.
The writ comes one day after Attorney General Mark Herring requested the Virginia Supreme Court speed up the appeal process.
For the last 33 years, Harward was in prison for crimes he didn't commit.
Back in 1986, he was convicted of murdering a Newport News man and raping his wife in their home. Recently, new DNA evidence proved Harward is innocent of the crimes.
In fact, the new DNA evidence showed another man, Jerry Crotty, was the perpetrator. Crotty died in an Ohio prison while serving time for another crime.
Before Harward was granted innocence today, NewsChannel 3 spoke with legal analyst David Cardon, who said the appeal process typically takes months, or even up to a year.
However, with the Attorney General backing Harward, the writ came in less than 24 hours.
"In this situation, all bets are off. They got a man in jail who's been there for 33 years. They could make anything happen. If they want to expedite it, it could go much faster," Cardon said.
