TAMPA, Fla. — The thought of spending nearly 40 years behind bars is a frightening thought for many, but for Robert Duboise, it was his reality. 

What You Need To Know

  • Robert Duboise spent 37 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit

  • He was exonerated in August 2020

  • The Tampa City Council held a closed session meeting about the settlement negotiation for Duboise

In 1983, Duboise was falsely convicted of the rape and murder of Barbara Grams.

The only piece of evidence prosecutors had to send him to prison was a bite mark on the victim's body, a method that experts have since discredited. 

It's now been more than three years since Robert was exonerated, but he still thinks about others like himself still behind bars.  

"I'm not the only one that was in there for something I didn't do," he said. "So there are still others, and I just hope they'll be a little more receptive to looking at the evidence. You know, helping them fight for their freedom."

At Thursday's Tampa City Council meeting, a closed session was held to talk about settlement negotiations in Duboise's case. 

Despite the negotiations, Duboise said a settlement is not something he focuses on. 

"I'm not gonna let everything that happened take up the rest of the years of my life, worrying about it and chasing behind stuff," he said. 

Instead, he said he is focusing on what he has now and his goals for the future. 

"Trying to buy a house, and then, who knows?" he said. "If everything works out, maybe I'll adopt children, you know, because I wanted children, and take it from there. So pretty much, I'll take it one day at a time until it's figured out."

Spectrum Bay News 9 has reached out to the city of Tampa for details about the closed session regarding the settlement talks in Duboise's case, but did not hear back.

Last year state, lawmakers approved nearly $1.9 million for Duboise.