A Concord man will receive a $25 million settlement after serving nearly 44 years in prison for a crime he said he didn’t commit.

Ronnie Long, 68, was convicted of raping the widow of a Cannon Mills executive in 1976 by an all-white jury in Concord. Potentially exculpatory evidence was either intentionally withheld from his defense team or disappeared, and there was a tampered pool of potential jurors, according to Pfeiffer Rudolf Attorneys at Law.

In August 2020, Long’s conviction was overturned. In December of that year, he received a Pardon of Innocence from Gov. Roy Cooper.

[CLICK HERE to read Ronnie Long’s pardon]

On Jan. 8, 2024, the city of Concord agreed to pay Long $22 million and issued a public apology acknowledging the grave pain endured by Long and his family because of wrongdoing by the Concord Police Department and the city of Concord.

While reaching this agreement, the Concord City Council sent the following statement to Long and his attorneys:

“We are deeply remorseful for the past wrongs that caused tremendous harm to Mr. Long, his family, friends, and our community. Mr. Long suffered the extraordinary loss of his freedom and a substantial portion of his life because of this conviction. He wrongly served 44 years, 3 months, and 17 days in prison for a crime he did not commit. While there are no measures to fully restore to Mr. Long all that was taken from him, through this agreement, we are doing everything in our power to right the past wrongs and take responsibility. We are hopeful this can begin the healing process for Mr. Long and our community, and that together we can move forward while learning valuable lessons and ensuring nothing like this ever happens again.”

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He also received $3 million from the State Bureau of Investigation due to the SBI’s role in hiding evidence from Long and his legal team that proved his innocence.

His total financial compensation will total $25 million, which is the largest wrongful conviction settlement in North Carolina history, as well as one of the largest wrongful conviction settlements nationwide, according to Pfeiffer Rudolf Attorneys at Law.

Long’s legal team also issued a statement following the settlement, saying:

“This result speaks to the magnitude of injustice that occurred in Mr. Long’s case,” said Chris Olson, one of Long’s attorneys. “Ronnie Long not only has his and his family’s name restored, but he has also exposed the unconscionable conduct that led to his wrongful conviction and received a full acknowledgment and apology from the city for the misconduct of its own. That apology goes a long way in helping Mr. Long heal.”

VIDEO: Ronnie Long’s first meal after spending 44 years in prison