‘Vindicating’: Man exonerated of murder after 20 years in prison sues for wrongful conviction

CLEVELAND (WJW) — Even after a year of freedom, Michael Buehner said he still feels like he’s out of place after spending 20 years in prison.

“This is an abnormal world for me and trying to switch things around and trying to make it normal again — friendships, relationships, family and everything — it’s a challenge,” Buehner said.

When he was 23 years old, Buehner was sentenced to 18 years to life for the May 2001 murder of Jerry Saunders at East 93rd Street and Marah Avenue.

But he was exonerated in 2023 after a new trial and new evidence that police and prosecutors hid from the original jury 20 years ago.

Now, after spending almost half of his 47 years in prison, Buehner is suing the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County in federal court.

“The Cleveland homicide detectives responsible for what happened to Michael, and the county prosecutor’s office convicted the wrong man. They knowingly convicted the wrong man, conducted a deficient investigation, in order to put Michael on the hook for something that he’s innocent of,” attorney Elizabeth Bonham said.

The case filed Thursday morning in federal court alleges that Cleveland police detectives and county prosecutors violated Buehner’s civil rights.

It alleges that detectives coerced two men into identifying Buehner as the gunman in the Marah Avenue murder and failed to look at other suspects that were identified by witnesses.

It also accuses the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office of suppressing evidence and knowingly using made-up testimony in the original trial.

Buehner’s attorney said even when presented with the true facts of the case, justice eluded him for years.

“There were two identifications and we now know they were both fabricated. And then what happens: Michael has to fight for seven more years before his conviction is vacated and he gets out,” attorney Sarah Gelsomino said.

The county prosecutor’s office had little to say about the filing and issued a statement that reads:

“Our office is aware that a lawsuit has been filed and after we review it, we will respond accordingly. We decline to comment further.”

Buehner said no amount of money will ever bring back the time he lost with his children but he said that by filing this case, he hopes to bring to light that there are other people like him.

“This is somewhat vindicating, but you just can’t get back time. They destroyed a career that I had, the lost wages. They just delay and deny, and they just don’t want to give me anything. They’re like, ‘Hey, we let you out. That’s good enough.’ Well, it’s kind of not good enough,” Buehner said.

FOX 8 News reached out to the city of Cleveland for comment but did not hear back.

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