US EditionMinnesota Man Free From Prison After 26 Years for Murder He Says He Didn’t Commit
The Minnesota Board of Pardons commuted Brian Pippitt’s life sentence following a 2024 report citing unreliable testimony and no forensic evidence linking him to the 1998 murder.
- On Jan. 7, the Department of Corrections released Brian Pippitt from custody after the Minnesota Board of Pardons commuted his life sentence in September; he was freed from a Faribault, Minnesota prison.
- The Minnesota Attorney General's Conviction Review Unit concluded Pippitt did not commit the murder and recommended exoneration after its extensive investigation documented in a 118-page report.
- Investigators found multiple forensic and testimonial problems in the original prosecution, noting no fingerprints, hair or DNA matched Pippitt, and two key witnesses recanted under oath.
- While his sentence was commuted to time served, Pippitt will be released on parole and his conviction has not been overturned, with the legal fight continuing in Aitkin County Court.
- The Conviction Review Unit has reviewed 1,151 applications but recommended exoneration only three times, highlighting rarity, and its detailed report included 895 footnotes citing about 250 documents after more than 1,100 hours.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Duluth News Tribune
Minnesota man free from prison after 26 years for murder he says he didn’t commit
FARIBAULT, Minn. — An Aitkin County man was released from prison on Wednesday, Jan. 7, following the Minnesota Board of Pardons' vote in September to grant him a sentence commutation. “After many hurdles, I look forward to being free and I am eager to start the process to clear my name with the help of Centurion and the Great North Innocence Project,” Brian Pippitt, 63, said in a news release. “I am looking forward to reconnecting with my people…
Aitkin County man free from prison after 26 years for murder he says he didn’t commit
FARIBAULT — The Department of Corrections released Brian Pippitt from custody Wednesday, Jan. 7, following the Minnesota Pardon Board's vote to grant him a sentence commutation in September. “After many hurdles, I look forward to being free and I am eager to start the process to clear my name with the help of Centurion and the Great North Innocence Project,” Pippitt said in a news release. “I am looking forward to reconnecting with my people.” T…
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