Wrongfully imprisoned mother files suit

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Lynn DeJac-Peters is now seeking millions after being wrongfully imprisoned for her daughter's murder.

Dejac spent 14 years in prison for a murder she didn't commit.

Now, she's suing the people who put her behind bars.

Dejac said, "This is the one where the truth is gonna come out, what was done to me."

Dejac was convicted back in 1994 of murdering her daughter Crystallynn.

She spent the next 14 years behind bars, until prosecutors re-examined the case and ruled the actual cause of death was a cocaine overdose and head injury.

But even the day after she was released, her prosecutor, former Assistant DA Joe Maruzak said this, "In my mind, based on the evidence, she's a stone cold murderer."

Maruzak is one of the people named in a new lawsuit filed by Dejac.

Dejac said, "Well, he went after me with a vengeance, and he said that he was coming after me with a vengeance, so this is why he's named."

The suit also names Former DA Frank Clark, Erie County, and the City of Buffalo, and a dozen Buffalo Police detectives and officers.

She's seeking $30 million in damages, saying investigators ignored facts that indicated David Donohue was behind her daughter's death.

The 57 year old was never charged in the death, but he's currently serving 25 years to life behind bars for a different killing.

Dejac said, "I find it very hard to work. I can't even sometimes let my husband go to work. I'm afraid to be alone, because I was alone for a certain period of time in my life and they pinned this murder on me for not being able to account for seven minutes outta my life."

Dejac's attorney Steven Cohen said, "This lawsuit is intended to prevent this kind of injustice from happening to anyone else."

In most cases, the city or county will pay for the legal defense of its workers, even when they are sued individually like this.

A $14.5 million lawsuit Dejac filed against the state two years ago is still pending.