Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Recommends New Trial for Defendant Convicted of Murder in 2007

Posted on 3/1/2024

Defendant: Mentae Humphrey

The Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has agreed to set aside the guilty verdict of Mentae Humphrey and recommend he receive a new trial. The decision was based on the results of a thorough investigation by the office’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU).

Humphrey was convicted in 2007 in the death of Juan Munguia in April 2006. In September 2023, Humphrey filed a motion for a new trial. The motion was referred to the CIU, which completed its investigation Feb. 23 and presented its report to Franklin County Prosecutor G. Gary Tyack.

Tyack agreed with the CIU’s finding that Humphrey was unavoidably prevented from discovering evidence that would have been potentially helpful to his defense.

“The Conviction Integrity Unit was established to review and investigate claims of wrongful conviction,” said Anthony Pierson, deputy chief counsel for the prosecutor’s office. “Based on the CIU’s findings after an exhaustive review of the case, our office agrees with the CIU’s recommendation that Mentae Humphrey be granted a new trial.”