Michael Sullivan, who spent over 27 years in a Massachusetts prison for a murder he steadfastly denied committing, has been awarded $1 million in compensation after new DNA evidence exonerated him.

Sullivan, now 61, was convicted in 1985 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. He was released in 2013 when advances in DNA technology proved his innocence, leading to the overturning of his conviction.

Earlier this month, Sullivan was awarded $13 million (£10 million) in damages by a Massachusetts court. However, state regulations cap compensation for wrongful convictions at $1 million, limiting the payout he can receive.

During his decades of incarceration, Sullivan endured profound personal losses, including the deaths of his mother and four siblings.

In a statement, he said that while the money is welcome, it “will never make up for the years stolen from me, or the loved ones I lost while I was in prison.”

US man awarded $1 million after wrongfully imprisoned 27 years