JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A St. Louis man was given another chance at life on Wednesday.
Bobby Bostic was released from prison after serving 27 years of what was supposed to be a 241-year sentence.
He has been imprisoned since 1995 for a crime he committed at 16 years old.
“I stand here a free man today,” the 43-year-old said proudly as he stood on the steps of the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.
At 16, Bostic and an 18-year-old man robbed several individuals in St. Louis but no one was seriously injured.
In return, Bostic was sentenced to 241 years behind bars.
“I take responsibility for the crimes that I committed 27 years ago when I was just a kid,” Bostic told his supporters.
In 2010, the United States Supreme Court held in Graham v. Florida that it is unconstitutional to sentence a juvenile to life without the possibility of parole for non-homicidal crimes.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri stepped in, in 2017 to challenge the justice system on the state and national levels but was denied.
“How can Mr. Bostic be sitting in prison without eligibility of parole until he is 112 years old for things that he did when he was only 16 years old,” questioned
A year later, Judge Evelyn Baker who sentenced Bostic all those years ago became his ally.
She stood by him to answer questions from reporters.
“I learned about brain development and realized what an injustice I had done to a 16-year-old child," Baker said.
The ongoing fight led to a state statute providing a parole hearing after five years to Bostic and about 100 others serving time.
During his time in prison, Bostic acquired his GED, became a published author and immersed himself in restorative justice.
“My brother has gone from a troubled teenager battling addictions to an intelligent educated man. Faith seeing to help others,” said Marquise Bostic, his sister.
He mentioned that his plan moving forward would be to touch the hearts of troubled young people to reassure them there is a better path.
“I'm going to try to inspire people to find their life purpose because once you find your life's purpose you can impact a whole bunch of other people," Bostic said.
The author said he planned to get a job, get acclimated to technology and learn how to drive again, “the simple things people take for granted.”
He also plans to write another book.