Nevest Coleman, a Chicago man who spent 23 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, recently received his freedom. Now, he's also got his old job back.
Coleman, who was a longtime groundskeeper for the Chicago White Sox at what's now known as Guaranteed Rate Field before he was wrongfully convicted of a 1994 rape and murder, was rehired by the team Monday - less than a month after being officially proclaimed innocent.
"We're grateful that after more than two decades, justice has been carried out for Nevest," the White Sox said in a statement Monday, according to Gregory Pratt of the Chicago Tribune. "It has been a long time, but we're thrilled that we have the opportunity to welcome him back to the White Sox family. We're looking forward to having Nevest back on Opening Day at home in our ballpark."
The White Sox aren't wasting any time putting Coleman back to work. He arrived at the ballpark to start his new (old) job on Monday, power washing parts of the stadium and also greeting many familiar faces. He'll also be in the stadium for their home opener on April 5.
"He was a good, excellent worker. We're glad to have him back," Jerry Powe, a White Sox grounds crew member who worked with Coleman before he was arrested and will now be his supervisor, told ABC 7's Megan Hickey.
Coleman, now 49, served on the White Sox grounds crew for several years before being wrongfully convicted. He maintained his innocence throughout his prison stint, and DNA evidence unearthed last year served to exonerate him. He was released in November and received an official certificate of innocence earlier this month. In February, Coleman filed a wrongful conviction lawsuit against several parties, including the city of Chicago and the police officers who interrogated him.
He told Pratt he loved working for the White Sox because "everybody treated each other like family," and claimed that after gaining his freedom, all he wanted was to "sit back for a while, get to know my family, and when the time comes around, go back to Comiskey Park (now Guaranteed Rate Field)."
Multiple calls to the White Sox from family and friends, including a retired priest he was close with, helped land Coleman an interview with the team. Shortly afterward, his dream came true and they rehired him.
"His first wish (after being released), before he wished for a hamburger, was to work for the White Sox," Coleman's cousin Richard said. "That's exactly what I told them."