Man exonerated and released from Minnesota prison after nearly 30 years of wrongful conviction.

Bryan Hooper Sr., a man wrongfully convicted of murder, was released from a Minnesota prison on September 4, 2025, after nearly 30 years of incarceration. This decision followed a ruling by District Court Judge Marta Chou, who vacated Hooper’s first-degree murder conviction predicated on a false confession from a witness who later recanted her testimony.

Hooper was initially accused in the 1998 murder of 77-year-old Ann Prazniak, whose remains were discovered in a cardboard box inside her bedroom closet on April 15 of that year. Authorities ruled Prazniak’s death as asphyxiation, determining she had been deceased for at least two weeks before the grim discovery of her body. Despite Hooper’s admission of having been in Prazniak’s apartment, he consistently denied any involvement in her death. In 2000, he was convicted of premeditated murder, felony murder during a burglary, and felony murder during a kidnapping, earning him a life sentence with the potential of parole after 30 years.

The key evidence against Hooper came from a witness, Chalaka Young, who claimed to have assisted him in the murder and was granted a lighter sentence in exchange for her cooperation with the prosecution. However, in a marked shift this year, Young, now reportedly sober and reflective, recognized her accountability and admitted to personally committing the murder, subsequently confessing to lying during testimony. Her revelation was documented in a handwritten confession dated July 19, which was presented to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit.

Following her confession, Hooper’s legal representatives submitted a petition in August to vacate his conviction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office expedited the review process, culminating in Hooper’s release from the Stillwater Correctional Facility in Bayport. Family members were present to welcome him back, with plans for a family meal to celebrate this long-awaited reunion.

In acknowledging the grave injustice faced by Hooper, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty emphasized the responsibility prosecutors have to ensure that the rightful individuals are held accountable for crimes. The case underscores the critical importance of judicial review and the necessity for accountability within the legal system.

As the community reflects on this case, it serves as a poignant reminder of the potential for miscarriages of justice within the criminal justice system, and the imperative of continually scrutinizing and seeking rectification in wrongful convictions. As Hooper embarks on this new chapter of his life, the impacts of his twenty-nine years behind bars will undoubtedly resonate for years to come, both for him and for those advocating for justice reform.

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