If you ever wish in life that you get the chance to meet your doppelgänger in real life know that this could be the worst wish of your life. The reason? Read this story of the man who served 17 years in prison after he got convicted mistakenly for a crime that was committed by a person who resembled him and now the world finally realized their mistake and issued him an apology and compensation for the years lost.
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The majority of us have thought of scenarios of what will happen if we ever get the chance of meeting our doppelgänger at some point, but after reading this story, you'll be wishing you didn't.
However, what if we tell you that this man was awarded $1 million in compensation after being forced to serve 17 years behind bars for a crime that his doppelgänger committed?
Seriously.
Credit: Facebook / Midwest Innocence Project
Richard Jones was falsely imprisoned in 2000 for aggravated robbery, however, this mistake never got into notice until years later when his victim and witnesses were shown a picture of his doppelgänger, Ricky Amos.
Credit: Facebook / Midwest Innocence Project
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The crime was committed back in 1999 at a Walmart parking lot in Roeland Park, Kansas, where a man had attempted to steal a woman's handbag.
Even though Jones had an alibi and that was his girlfriend in Kansas City but due to lack of evidence at the scene, he faced jail time.
The eyewitnesses also identified him from a series of mugshots.
Jones attempted to appeal the sentence many times but was denied every time.
Credit: Facebook / Midwest Innocence Project
The Midwest Innocence Project and the University of Kansas School of Law eventually went on a mission to clear Jones' name.
In the process to clear his name, they found his doppelgänger who was actually residing in the same prison as him.
This led a judge to present the victim and eyewitnesses with Jones' mugshot again, and that of another inmate, Amos.
People were unable to tell the difference apart.
There was also no physical evidence, DNA, or fingerprints that ever linked him to the 1999 crime.
Even though Amos continued to deny that he committed the crime but he got convicted in Jones' place and his doppelgänger was finally allowed to join his family.
However, due to the statute of limitations expiring, Amos will not face prosecution for the crime.
Jones said that he believes he was 'blessed' after being finally released in 2017.
"When it comes to my kids, it's been a rough ride, but they are now at an age where they can understand," he said.
Jones also received a certificate of innocence, as well as his compensation.
"I don't believe in luck, I believe I was blessed," Jones told the Kansas City Star.
An attorney who worked on the case said: "We were floored by how much they looked alike."