Court File: Entrepreneur Dies in Accident

By Dennis Romero

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A47-year-old man who spent nearly 20 years in prison for a crime hedidn't commit, and who went on to establish a profitable ATM business,died in Hawaii early this morning, according to reports.

The Los Angeles Times states that DeWayne McKinney,convicted of a 1980 robbery-murder in Orange, Calif., then released twodecades later because prosecutors realized he probably didn't do it,died when his scooter hit a light pole in Honolulu about 12:30 a.m. After his release from prison in 2000, McKinney sued the City ofOrange Police Department and reaped a $1 million settlement, which heparlayed into a cottage industry of ATM machines that he placed atmalls, bars and restaurants on three Hawaiian islands. The enterprisehelped him build a reported $6 million net worth. The Times states thatMcKinney, never showing bitterness about his incarceration, had beentalking to movie studio executives about turning his story into a film.

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