US Edition
Hennepin County Attorney Moves to Vacate 1998 Murder Conviction
Prosecutor seeks to overturn Bryan Hooper Sr.'s 1998 conviction after witness recanted and confessed, prompting review by the Conviction Integrity Unit and a judge's decision within 90 days.
- On Tuesday, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said she will seek the release of Brian Hooper after a key witness recanted her testimony and told authorities she committed the crime.
- The Conviction Integrity Unit learned on July 29, 2025, that Chalaka Young recanted and confessed to killing Ann Prazniak and concealing her body.
- Court filings note Minneapolis Police Department evidence and jailhouse informants recant their trial statements, supporting Hooper's innocence, Moriarty said.
- Under state rules, a Hennepin County District Court judge will decide within 90 days after the earliest hearing requested by the Great North Innocence Project and Moriarty to vacate Bryan Hooper's conviction.
- Having spent nearly 30 years behind bars, Jim Mayer said `Two tragedies have brought us all together here` to highlight systemic failures.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Handwritten confession in 1998 murder speeds request to vacate man’s conviction
MINNEAPOLIS — A woman incarcerated in Georgia has confessed to a 27-year-old murder in Minneapolis. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Tuesday, Aug. 12, that it’s long past time for the man who’s spent half his life in prison for the crime to be released. In 1998, a judge sentenced Brian Hooper Sr., now 54, to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years for the killing of Ann Prazniak. But in a handwritten confession an…
Ottumwa Courier
Minnesota prosecutor seeks to overturn man's 1998 murder conviction after a witness confesses
A Minnesota prosecutor is seeking the release of a man in prison for 27 years for murder after a key witness recanted her testimony and confessed to the crime. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Tuesday she supports the effort…
Citing new confession, prosecutors seek to vacate conviction in elderly woman’s Minneapolis slaying
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and Great North Innocence Project are filing a join petition to free Bryan Hooper from prison in the killing of Ann Prazniak.
Conviction in grisly 1998 Minneapolis homicide falls apart
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Tuesday she will seek the release of a man imprisoned 27 years for heinous Minneapolis murder after a key witness has recanted her testimony and told authorities she committed the crime. Moriarty said she supports the effort by attorneys for Brian Hooper Sr. who are asking for a judge […]
Minnesota prosecutor seeks to overturn man’s 1998 murder conviction after a witness confesses
A Minnesota prosecutor said Tuesday she will seek the release of a man imprisoned 27 years for murder after a key witness has recanted her testimony and told authorities she committed the crime.
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