Ezra Bozeman, a Pennsylvania man serving a life sentence for second-degree murder, passed away over the weekend, just 12 days after being granted a medical transfer from prison to a facility better equipped to treat his condition, including quadriplegia.
Bozeman, 68, had spent 49 years in jail before an Allegheny County judge approved his request for compassionate release. He had been on life support at the UPMC Altoona medical center before his death.
According to his lawyer, Dolly Prabhu, Bozeman had a back injury that had been misdiagnosed for several years, leading to extensive medical needs after becoming paralyzed from the chest down following surgery.
Despite opposition from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office, Bozeman’s release was granted. Prabhu described Bozeman as an optimistic individual who firmly believed in his eventual release.
Convicted in 1975 for the shooting death of Morris Weitz during an attempted robbery, Bozeman maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration.
Pennsylvania’s compassionate release law, which covers seriously ill inmates expected to die within a year, allowed Bozeman’s release. However, Prabhu noted that many other elderly and sick inmates remain incarcerated due to the state’s harsh sentencing laws and lack of adequate care in prisons.
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