Minnesota Lynx legend Maya Moore fell to her knees in emotion as the man she helped free from prison was released on Wednesday.
Moore shocked the WNBA world in 2019 when she announced she would be sitting out a season so she could help with the case of Jonathan Irons in her native Missouri.
She had met Irons through a prison ministry in 2007. Irons had maintained his innocence having been convicted at the age of just 16 for a 1997 home invasion and shooting, and was sentenced to 50 years in prison
In March, Irons’ conviction was thrown out by a judge who found several issues with the investigation, a decision that was unsuccessfully appealed by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
And with the prosecutor in St. Charles County deciding not to pursue a retrial, the now-40-year-old walked out a free man.
“Freedom,” Moore simply posted on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCHjLUcKfcF
The 31-year-old announced in January that she would also be sitting out the 2020 WNBA season, though ultimately it has been delayed by the COVID-19 outbreak.
She told the Associated Press that following Irons’ release, she’s “looking forward … to finally getting some rest and time with my family.”
Moore will appear alongside Irons on Good Morning America Thursday.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCHuxOLhgeQ
