LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech University’s Innocence Clinic announced on Friday its client, James Reyos who was convicted of murder in Odessa in 1983 was proven innocent by the Criminal Court of Appeals of Texas.

Reyos was convicted of murdering Catholic priest Patrick Ryan. Texas Tech said the case had no evidence linking Reyos to the crime.

Reyos was sentenced to 38 years in prison and spent decades in prison and continued to proclaim his innocence even after he was released on parole.

The exoneration came after the case was brought to Allison Clayton, School of Law clinical fellow and director of the Innocence Clinic.

“After Greg reached out to me, I knew that James’s case would be perfect for the Innocence Clinic,” Clayton said.

Reyos now has his rights restored, he is free to leave the state and is no longer a convicted murderer.