ODESSA, Texas — James Reyos has been declared innocent by Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Oct. 4.
Reyos was convicted back in 1983 for the murder of Father Patrick Ryan. Reyos received 38 years in prison and ended up serving 20 years after being initially released in 2004.
“We are grateful for the court’s swift action on this case. James has been living with this burden for more than 40 years and his name has finally been cleared,” said Allison Clayton, Deputy Director of Innocence Project of Texas, and Reyos’ attorney. “We want to thank the Odessa Police Department and Ector Count District Attorney’s Office for their cooperation. This case is a testament to what can happen when everyone works together for justice.”
Back in 2022, the Odessa Police Department found fingerprint evidence within Father Patrick Ryan's stolen car and wallet. This evidence was analyzed, and it was discovered that the real killers of Father Patrick Ryan were people with criminal backgrounds and staying at the same motel during the time of the murder. These individuals have since passed away.
There was also overwhelming evidence to prove that Reyos was in New Mexico during the time of the murder, which he talked about back in 1981. However, a year later, he confessed to the murder during a 911 call. Despite all the evidence pointing to him being not guilty, jurors later said that their decision to find him guilty was due to the confession and his "characteristics".