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Prosecutors and other law enforcement officials determined
Michael Kenneth McAlister was not guilty of the attempted rape
for which he was convicted, McAuliffe, a Democrat, said in a
statement.
"A pardon is appropriate in light of the overwhelming evidence,
including a recent confession by another individual, pointing to
Mr. McAlister's actual innocence," McAuliffe said.
McAuliffe later said on his Twitter account that he had spoken
with McAlister, who said he was headed home and looking forward
to a "nice home cooked meal."
The Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project said McAlister was wrongfully
convicted in 1986 and though his sentence ended months ago, the
Virginia Attorney General's Office sought a civil commitment as
a sexual predator.
The Washington Post reported that the jailed serial rapist who
confessed to the crime had a close physical resemblance to the
58-year-old McAlister.
The newspaper also said a civil commitment under Virginia law
could have led to McAlister's indefinite detention at a secure
state rehabilitation facility, besides the 29 years he had
already spent behind bars.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by
Clarence Fernandez)
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