Vegas Woman Receives .5M Settlement After 16-Year Wrongful Imprisonment

Vegas Woman Receives $29.5M Settlement After 16-Year Wrongful Imprisonment

Woman wins $29.5M after 16 years in prison for murder she didn't commit, as cops fabricated evidence.

October 7, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Las Vegas, United States — A Nevada woman has received a $29.5 million settlement from the Las Vegas Metro Police Department after spending nearly 16 years in prison for a murder she did not commit, due to fabricated evidence by officers.

Kirsten Lobato was arrested in 2001 at age 18 for the murder of Duran Bailey, whose body showed signs of severe violence, including a severed penis. She was sentenced to 13 to 35 years in prison and spent almost 16 years behind bars before being exonerated in 2017.

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Lobato filed a lawsuit against the LVMPD two years after her release, accusing detectives Thomas Thowsen and James LaRochelle of fabricating evidence and misrepresenting her statements. A U.S. District Court awarded her $34 million in December 2024, though the department appealed. The case was eventually settled, allowing her to move on with her life after decades of legal battles over the 2001 murder.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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