A man who served more than two decades inprison for the rape and murder of two children in Union County is free on bail.
Byron Halsey was convicted in 1988 for sexual assault and murder of his girlfriend?s two children, Tyrone and Tina Urqhart, who were found raped, beaten and slashed in couple?s Plainfield home.
But a Union County judge threw out Halsey?s conviction Tuesday after DNA tests showed that a former neighbor may have been responsible for the crimes.
Halsey?s case was taken up by the Innocence Project, which uses DNA to help those wrongly convicted.
An Innocence Project spokesperson said the DNA found at the murder scene actually belonged to Cliff Hall, who is in prison for three sex crimes he committed after the children?s murders.
Prosecutors will now determine if they will also throw out the original indictments against Halsey. That decision will be made in July.
Related information: The Innocence Project