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Michigan man resentenced in juvenile lifer case

Michigan Department of Corrections
Bobby Gene Griffin is 67 years old, and has been in prison since he was 17.

A man in Michigan who was sentenced to life in prison without parole nearly 50 years ago as a teenager may soon be released.

The Herald-Palladium reports that at 17 years old, Bobby Gene Griffin was handed Michigan's then-automatic life without parole sentence for the 1967 murder of Minnie Peaples. The law has since changed, saying juveniles convicted of murder won't receive mandatory life sentences.

Click here to read more about juvenile lifers in Michigan.

The now 67-year-old expressed remorse in court Monday and acknowledged that he can't reverse his actions that left Peaples dead.

Judge Scott Schofield has resentenced Griffin to 40 to 60 years behind bars, with credit for nearly 50 years. He's immediately eligible for parole, and is expected to be released.

Prosecutor Michael Sepic says Peaples' grandchildren have expressed disappointment in the decision.

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting.
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