Opening statements in new trial following 5 On Your Side Investigation

CLEVELAND - Opening statements were presented this morning in a new trial for a Cleveland man who spent 16 years in prison for a murder he says he did not commit.

The trial comes as a result of an exclusive 5 On Your Side investigation.

Darrell Houston was freed from prison after a series of news reports revealed there was no evidence linking him to the crime.

Tuesday morning, a jury was taken to the convenience store where the crime occurred in September 1991 to view the scene. Later, both defense and prosecutors presented their opening statements.

Defense Attorney Rufus Sims told the jury there was "not one shred of evidence linking Darrell Houston to the crime."

"No footprints matching Mr. Houston to the crime, no blood splatter, not white tennis shoes, no DNA, no gunshot residue," said Sims.

Prosecutors have claimed all along that a store clerk told police that Houston resembled the gunman, but the same eyewitness also testified in the original trial and insisted Houston was not the man he saw that night.

Still Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Brian McDonough told the jury that the eyewitness identified a photo of Houston and said it "looked like" the shooter whose nickname was "D."

"He identifies "D" as Darrell Houston. Darrell Houston is the shooter. Darrell Houston is the robber and it's the same Darrell Houston that is seated in the courtroom here today."

Testimony continues Wednesday morning with former Cleveland police detectives describing what led them to arrest Houston.

Keep checking newsnet5.com for more information.