John Huffington spent over three decades in prison for two murders he didn’t commit. Now, he’s suing the former prosecutors and investigators he says were responsible for putting him behind bars.
Huffington, 62, was convicted in 1981 and sentenced to death for the so-called “Memorial Day Murders” in Maryland. His conviction was based in part on now-debunked forensic evidence — hair analysis — that wrongly tied him to the crime scene. The charges stemmed from the brutal killings of Diane Becker, who was stabbed while her 4-year-old son was in the car, and her boyfriend, Joseph Hudson, who was shot and found miles away.
Despite being sentenced to death, prosecutors later commuted his punishment to two life terms. But it wasn’t until January 2023 that Huffington was formally pardoned by then-Gov. Larry Hogan, who cited prosecutorial misconduct in issuing a full innocence pardon. Later that year, the state awarded Huffington $2.9 million in compensation.
Now, Huffington is pursuing civil action, filing a lawsuit against former Harford County State’s Attorney Joseph Cassilly — the prosecutor who led the case — as well as several others. Cassilly was disbarred in 2021 for alleged misconduct in the Huffington case, including destroying evidence, failing to turn over exculpatory material, attempting to have evidence destroyed, and lying to the court.
“What Joseph Cassilly did in John Huffington’s case was unethical, reprehensible, and we want to hold him accountable,” said Huffington’s attorney, Brian Eldridge. “Even in his absence.”
The suit also names Assistant State’s Attorney Gerard Comen and former Harford County Sheriff’s Office investigators William Van Horn, David Saneman, and Wesley J. Picha. All but Saneman are now deceased, according to The Baltimore Banner, which cited the complaint. Huffington is seeking a jury trial.
The toll of those decades behind bars is something Huffington says he can never recover.
“All of those years I spent behind bars damaged and strained my relationships, cost me the ability to have a family of my own, cost me the ability to be with my mother when she died, cost me precious time with my father who was in his nineties and suffering from Alzheimer’s when I was finally released,” Huffington said in a statement.
“I can’t help but acknowledge 32 lost years,” he added. “It took many, many painful years, but the truth eventually came out.”
