WNBA star proves a man’s innocence

WNBA star Maya Moore has scored a win in the courtroom by helping to get a St. Louis area man freed from prison this month. Jonathan Irons had his conviction overturned after being locked up for more than 20 years for a violent O’Fallon home burglary that he maintains he did not commit. Moore, who grew up in Jefferson City and is a longtime friend of Irons, stepped away from the game in the prime of her career to help Irons get out of prison.

 “There’s something about truth that just makes you believe it’s going to happen – when you have the facts right in front of you,” says Moore. “I’ve heard Jonathan say this, like he just had to keep believing ‘If we get the truth in front of the right people who want to do the right thing, they’ll do it.’”

Moore’s godfather made a pivotal discovery several years ago when he uncovered a document within police evidence files – an unidentified fingerprint that was not included in the original case. The revelation led to an appeal last October in which his lawyers made the case that no physical evidence connects Irons to the crime.