JUNEAU, Alaska — Marvin Roberts, an Alaska Native man who spent nearly 20 years in prison for a crime he insists he did not commit, has reached an $11.5 million settlement with the city of Fairbanks. This follows his allegations of racial bias by the police involved in the case, marking the resolution of a long legal struggle.
Roberts, one of the group known as the “Fairbanks Four,” was wrongfully convicted of murdering a white teenager in 1997. Their convictions were overturned in 2015, but Roberts has continued his fight for justice, culminating in the dismissal of his civil lawsuit by U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason after the settlement was reached.
Reflecting on the settlement, Roberts expressed that no financial compensation could ever truly remedy the years lost during his wrongful imprisonment. Yet, he acknowledged that the agreement brings a form of liberation, allowing him more precious time with his family, who remained steadfast in their support throughout his ordeal.
Fairbanks city attorney Tom Chard confirmed the details of the agreement, which includes specific payment schedules to be fulfilled by October 2026. Importantly, the settlement explicitly states that it does not constitute an admission of guilt or responsibility on the part of the city or its law enforcement.
Nick Brustin, one of Roberts’ attorneys, welcomed the settlement as definitive proof of Roberts’ innocence, which he had consistently upheld for nearly three decades. The resolution comes not long after the other three members of the Fairbanks Four opted for a separate financial agreement worth $1.59 million each, also not implying any liability on behalf of the city.
The convictions have been a flashpoint for Alaska Native leaders and communities, who have long contended that the charges were racially motivated. Among the four men, Roberts was paroled when the reversal came, while George Frese, Eugene Vent, and Kevin Pease are also of Indigenous backgrounds.
The 2015 breakthrough for the Fairbanks Four followed an intense examination of the case, spotlighting alternate suspects for the murder of 15-year-old John Hartman. Although the state of Alaska sidestepped declaring it an exoneration, the case’s reconsideration prompted a landmark legal settlement.
The men contended that the stipulation preventing them from further lawsuits was coerced and invalid, a claim endorsed by an appellate ruling in their favor. Despite the settlements and vacated convictions, Hartman’s case remains open and unresolved, as noted by Fairbanks Police spokesperson Teal Soden.