After nearly three decades behind bars, Bryan Hooper Sr. walked free from a Minnesota prison Thursday — exonerated of a murder he did not commit after the witness whose testimony secured his conviction confessed to being the real killer.
Hooper’s release followed a decision by State District Court Judge Marta Chou, who vacated his 1998 murder conviction, writing that the case was “tainted by false evidence.”
The case hinged on the testimony of Chalaka Young, who told jurors Hooper killed 77-year-old Ann Prazniak. Young now admits that she lied on the stand and that she herself committed the crime.
“I am not okay any longer with an innocent man sitting in prison for a crime he did not commit,” Young recently confessed.
A Conviction Built on False Testimony
Prazniak’s body was discovered in April 1998 inside her Minneapolis apartment, bound and hidden in a cardboard box. Prosecutors charged Hooper with three counts of first-degree murder — premeditated, felony murder during burglary, and felony murder during kidnapping. A jury convicted him largely on Young’s testimony, despite the lack of direct physical evidence tying him to the crime.
Hooper received three life sentences with the possibility of release after 30 years. By 2020, a judge had vacated two of those counts, but Hooper remained incarcerated until Young’s admission led prosecutors and defense attorneys to jointly seek his exoneration.
Prosecutors Concede Error
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty acknowledged the miscarriage of justice, stating:
“Today, the courts have affirmed what Bryan Hooper, his family, his loved ones, and his advocates have always known: Mr. Hooper is an innocent man. It is our duty as prosecutors to hold the correct individuals responsible for their actions, and that duty demands that we acknowledge our mistakes and make things right as quickly as we can.”
Moriarty’s office worked with the Great North Innocence Project to overturn the conviction after re-examining the record and securing Young’s confession. Jailhouse informants who once implicated Hooper had also recanted years earlier.
What Happens Next
With Hooper cleared, the Minneapolis Police Department has reopened the investigation into Prazniak’s death. Young, now imprisoned in Georgia on an unrelated assault charge, is due for release in about four years. Officials have not yet confirmed whether she will face new charges in Minnesota.
For Hooper, the immediate focus is on rebuilding his life. Upon release, he reunited with his children in the Twin Cities and said he simply wanted to share a meal with family after decades of separation.
His daughter described the toll of wrongful imprisonment:
“Twenty-seven years of missed birthdays, missed milestones, holidays. Twenty-seven years of lost opportunity.”
Legal and Systemic Implications
The Hooper case underscores persistent questions about the reliability of witness testimony and the duty of prosecutors to ensure convictions rest on sound evidence.
The use of false or recanted testimony remains one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions in the United States, according to innocence advocates.
As the Prazniak case reopens, legal experts warn that Hooper’s ordeal highlights the need for stricter safeguards against reliance on single-witness testimony and for robust post-conviction review mechanisms when new evidence emerges.
