Maurice Hastings — 38 Years Wrongfully Imprisoned
Maurice Hastings spent 38 years in prison for the 1983 sexual assault and murder of Roberta Wydermyer in Inglewood -- a crime he did not commit. The LA DA's office blocked DNA testing for over 20 years. When finally tested in 2021, the DNA excluded Hastings and matched Kenneth Packnett, a convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2020. Hastings was exonerated in October 2022 at age 69. In September 2025, the city of Inglewood agreed to pay $25 million -- the largest wrongful conviction settlement in California history.
What Happened
On October 25, 1983, Roberta Wydermyer was abducted from a parking lot in Inglewood, California, sexually assaulted, and shot in the head. Maurice Hastings, then 27, was convicted in 1988 of first-degree murder, rape, and kidnapping and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. The prosecution’s case rested on questionable eyewitness testimony and circumstantial evidence. The state had initially sought the death penalty.
For nearly four decades, Hastings maintained his innocence from behind bars. Beginning in 2000, when DNA testing became widely available, he repeatedly petitioned the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to test the rape kit and other biological evidence. The DA’s office denied every request for over 20 years. It was not until 2021, when Hastings submitted a claim to DA George Gascon’s newly created Conviction Integrity Unit and the Los Angeles Innocence Project took up his case, that testing was finally ordered.
The results were devastating for the prosecution’s case: Hastings was completely excluded as the source of semen found on the victim. The DNA matched Kenneth Packnett, a convicted serial rapist and murderer who had been in prison for other violent sex crimes and who died in custody in 2020. The real killer had been identifiable for decades -- but the DA’s office refused to look.
Key Players
Timeline
Outcome
After 38 years of wrongful imprisonment, Maurice Hastings was finally exonerated on October 20, 2022, when DNA evidence conclusively proved his innocence. The Los Angeles County Superior Court vacated his conviction and dismissed all charges, marking the end of a decades-long nightmare. The DNA evidence not only excluded Hastings but also identified the real perpetrator: a man already serving time for other violent crimes. Hastings’ exoneration was a rare moment of justice, but it came at an unimaginable cost.
The state of California acknowledged its failure in 2023 by agreeing to a $25 million settlement—the largest wrongful conviction payout in state history. While the financial compensation cannot undo the decades Hastings lost, it reflects the magnitude of the injustice he endured. The case also exposed systemic failures in the Los Angeles County criminal justice system, including the refusal to test DNA evidence for years and the reliance on flawed investigative techniques.
Why This Matters
The wrongful conviction of Maurice Hastings is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of prosecutorial intransigence and investigative misconduct. For nearly four decades, Hastings’ pleas for DNA testing were ignored, despite the availability of technology that could have exonerated him. The case highlights how systemic resistance to re-examining convictions—even in the face of new evidence—can perpetuate injustice. Hastings’ story is not an anomaly; it is a symptom of a broken system that prioritizes finality over fairness.
This case also underscores the urgent need for accountability in wrongful conviction cases. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office’s refusal to test DNA evidence for over 20 years prolonged Hastings’ suffering and allowed the real perpetrator to evade justice. While Hastings’ exoneration is a victory, it raises critical questions: How many other wrongfully convicted individuals are still behind bars because prosecutors refuse to re-examine evidence? And what reforms are needed to prevent such egregious miscarriages of justice in the future?