A Minnesota man wrongly convicted of murder who spent nearly three decades in prison after being falsely implicated by a woman who has since confessed to the crime has been released.

State district court judge Marta Chou had vacated Bryan Hooper Sr’s first-degree murder conviction the day before. He was released on Thursday morning from Stillwater correctional facility, a Great North Innocence Project spokesperson said.

“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,” Hennepin county attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement. “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.”

Hooper reunited with his children and planned to enjoy a meal with them and spend time with family, Project spokesperson Hayley Poxleitner said. He also plans to make his home for now in the Twin Cities area, where his children live.

In 1998, a jury convicted Hooper of premeditated murder, felony murder while committing burglary, and felony murder while committing kidnapping in connection with the death of 77-year-old Ann Prazniak. His conviction hinged largely on testimony from a woman whom authorities say has since confessed to the crime.

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