Los Angeles, California - A US man who spent nearly 40 years in prison for a murder he did not commit has been released after DNA tests proved he was innocent.

Maurice Hastings (69), who is Black, served more than 38 years in prison in California for the 1983 murder of Roberta Wydermyer and two attempted murders.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Friday that the 1988 murder conviction had been quashed and Hastings had been released from prison.

"What has happened to Mr. Hastings is a terrible injustice," Gascón said. "The justice system is not perfect, and when we learn of new evidence which causes us to lose confidence in a conviction, it is our obligation to act swiftly."

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Hastings, who has always maintained his innocence, told a press conference he wanted to enjoy his life and move forward.

"I'm not pointing fingers. I'm not standing up here a bitter man," he said.

In 2000, he requested DNA testing to prove his innocence, but the request was initially denied.

In June it was discovered that DNA evidence from the time of the murder matched to a man who died in 2020 while serving a sentence for a separate kidnapping and rape, the district attorney's office said.