Life is suddenly looking pretty tasty for Michael Hanline.
Mr. Hanline, now 69, has spent the last 36 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit. After recently being released and having all charges against him dropped, he had one thing on his mind – a burger and fries.
Making a beeline to a local burger joint straight from the courthouse, Mr. Hanline had his sights set on a burger with cheese and bacon on top, like those he had seen “in commercials”.
Mr. Hanline was convicted for the murder of a truck driver in 1978 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However with the help of the California Innocence Project and the emergence of new evidence, Mr. Hanline has finally proven his innocence.
Now Carl’s Jr., the burger chain Mr. Hanline visited upon his released, has offered him free meals for a year.
While nothing can make up for 36 wasted years, at least his stomach will be satisfied.
“My oh my,” Mr. Hanline exulted when he took his first bite of fatty goodness.
“That’s what meat tastes like, huh?”
