City pays $9.1 million to Walter Ogrod, man wrongfully convicted of murdering Barbara Jean Horn – NBC10 Philadelphia
What you should know
- The city of Philadelphia will pay more than $9.1 million to Walter Ogrod, a man who spent 28 years behind bars after being wrongfully convicted of murdering four-year-old Barbara Jean Horn.
- Ogrod lived across the street from Horn’s family at the time of her murder. He was arrested four years later, in 1992, after police said he confessed to killing her. Ogrod’s first trial ended in a mistrial in 1993, while he was sentenced to death in a second trial in 1996.
- In 2018, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit reinvestigated Ogrod’s case. They concluded that Ogrod was not the killer and instead identified two potential suspects.
The city of Philadelphia will pay more than $9 million to a man who spent 28 years behind bars after he was wrongfully convicted of murdering four-year-old Barbara Jean Horn.
On July 12, 1988, Horn disappeared from her front yard in the Castor Gardens neighborhood of Philadelphia. A few hours later, her body was found in a cardboard television box just a few blocks from her home.
Walter Ogrod lived across the street from Horn’s family at the time of her murder. He was arrested four years later, in 1992, after police said he confessed to killing her. Ogrod’s first trial ended in a mistrial in 1993, while he was sentenced to death in a second trial in 1996.
In 2018, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit reinvestigated Ogrod’s case. They concluded that Ogrod was not the killer and instead identified two potential suspects.
In 2020, Ogrod was released from prison after his conviction was overturned.
Ogrod then filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Philadelphia in 2021, accusing the city of wrongful prosecution and the investigators involved in his case of framing him.
On Thursday, the city agreed to a settlement in which it denied any wrongdoing while Ogrod, now 59, received $9.1 million from Philadelphia taxpayers.
“This litigation was a long and hard-fought battle that resulted in a significant settlement that will give Walter Ogrod the economic support he needs to get his life back on track,” Ogrod’s attorney Joe Marrone wrote in a statement. “He remains optimistic about his future and is committed to supporting his fellow inmates who were also wrongly convicted.”
A city spokesman also commented on the comparison.
“The city remains committed to transparency in the pursuit of justice,” the spokesperson wrote. “Although the City’s settlement does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing by any party, the City recognizes the pain and distress to all parties that continuing litigation in this lawsuit would cause. The City hopes that this resolution can provide a fair outcome for all affected, and our thoughts are with the family of Barbara Jean Horn as they continue to advocate for justice for their loved one.”
Judy Rubino, the prosecutor in Ogrod’s second trial, told NBC10 that she is not happy the city has settled and hopes the case goes to trial.
Ogrod’s settlement is the third highest in the city’s history, behind the $9.8 million that Anthony Wright and Chester Hollman both received for their settlements.
Philadelphia police have reopened their investigation into the murder of Barbara Jean Horn following NBC10’s true crime docuseries about the case, which premiered in 2021.
