Atlanta considers $1.5M settlement for wrongfully arrested man

ATLANTA - The city of Atlanta’s Public Safety Committee is considering a $1.5 million settlement for a man wrongfully arrested and jailed for nearly 14 months in connection with the murder of his mother and stepfather—a crime he did not commit. 

Keith Sylvester, who has consistently maintained his innocence since his arrest in 2018, was detained after being accused of strangling his mother, Deborah Hubbard, and stepfather, Harry Hubbard. Sylvester told FOX 5 News in 2018, "I am innocent and had nothing to do with my mother and stepfather’s death." 

The case against Sylvester began to unravel when evidence surfaced implicating another suspect. Detectives eventually identified Cornelius Muckle as the actual suspect. Muckle’s cellphone was traced to the scene of the crime, and he was found to have pawned items from the Hubbard household two days after the murders. 

Sylvester, who spent almost 14 months behind bars, reflected on the wrongful arrest, saying that his mugshot "should have never been taken." In the days following the crime, Sylvester even assisted in the search for the real killer, putting up arson signs in his neighborhood in the hopes of bringing the perpetrator to justice. 

Neighbor Brandon Graham expressed relief that the system eventually cleared Sylvester's name. "He had a loving relationship with his mother and his family. So, to find out we do have a suspect that is not him, that's a great thing," Graham said. 

The Public Safety Committee’s decision to settle the case now heads to the full Atlanta City Council for final approval.