(NewsNation) — The judge who presided over the 1996 murder trial of the men convicted of killing James Jordan, father of NBA legend Michael Jordan, has petitioned for the release of one of those convicted, ABC News reported.
Judge Gregory Weeks on Tuesday asked the North Carolina Parole Commission to release Daniel Green, who is serving a life sentence for the 1993 murder. Weeks cited previously undisclosed forensic evidence that he believes could have changed the trial’s outcome, ABC News reported.
Green, now 49, was convicted alongside Larry Demery for killing James Jordan on July 23, 1993, during what prosecutors described as a botched robbery. Jordan was found dead in a South Carolina swamp Aug. 3, 1993, about 60 miles from where his car was abandoned in Robeson County, North Carolina.
Weeks told the commission that a forensic blood analyst failed to disclose that tests on a substance found inside Jordan’s car came back negative or inconclusive for blood. This omission contradicted the prosecution’s argument that Jordan was shot while sleeping in his car, ABC News reported.
“It speaks volumes about this case, and I’m overwhelmingly grateful,” Green told ABC News in a phone interview from Southern Correctional Institution.
Green has maintained his innocence, claiming he only helped Demery dispose of the body. Demery, who took a plea deal, accused Green of pulling the trigger.
The case gained national attention due to the victim’s relationship with Michael Jordan, who was wearing one of his son’s NBA championship rings when he was killed.
Former Robeson County District Attorney Johnson Britt, who prosecuted the case, described it as “once-in-a-lifetime” and “the biggest case I’ve ever tried.”
The parole commission is expected to deliberate for at least a month before deciding on Green’s potential release.
Green’s attorney, Lauren Miller, previously stated to NewsNation affiliate WBTW, “Daniel has consistently maintained that he is innocent of the murder of James Jordan and he will continue to fight to have his day in court.”
The hearing comes 31 years after the high-profile murder that led to Michael Jordan’s first retirement from basketball.