Oregon Man Wrongfully Convicted of Girlfriend’s Murder Wins $14 Million Lawsuit Against Coquille Police

An 18-year-old teenager found guilty of murdering his girlfriend 25 years ago, and who was wrongfully convicted and sent to prison, has won a $14 million lawsuit against the City of Coquille and the Coquille Police Department.

U.S. District Court records reveal that Nicholas McGuffin, now 43 years old, filed the wrongful conviction lawsuit in the Marion County Circuit Court.

McGuffin was convicted of the murder of Leah Freeman (15), although DNA could not tie him to the crime. Neither was any physical evidence or eyewitness accounts presented by the prosecution.

McGuffin maintained his innocence throughout, including the nine years he spent in prison.

Leah Freeman disappeared after visiting a friend on June 28, 2000. On the night of her disappearance, one of her shoes was discovered at a local cemetery, and a week later, the other shoe was found on a rural road.

Her body was found at the bottom of a steep embankment five weeks later. Cause of death could not be determined because of advanced decomposition.

Crime Lab Failed to Disclose That Another Man’s DNA Was Found on One of the Victim’s Shoes

McGuffin was charged and sent to prison several years later, but in 2019, his conviction was overturned when a judge ruled that the Oregon State Police crime lab failed to disclose that another man’s DNA was found on one of Freeman’s shoes.

The judge found that McGuffin could have been acquitted if this vital piece of information had been shared with the jury.

McGuffin filed a wrongful conviction lawsuit in 2024, accusing the state of withholding vital evidence. He was issued a certificate of innocence by a state court judge earlier this year.

When the Coos County district attorney declined to retry the case, the County Circuit Court dismissed the charges against McGuffin and released him from prison.