WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A Triad man who spent 20 years behind bars in a high-profile assault case in Winston-Salem was found dead.
The body of 52-year-old Kalvin Michael Smith was found earlier this week.
Smith was convicted of attacking Jill Marker at the Silk Plant Forest store in 1995.
Police found his body on Charleston Court in Winston-Salem on Wednesday.
Police don’t believe foul play was involved, but an exact cause of death won’t be released until a toxicology report comes back.
In 1995, investigators said Smith’s alleged attack on Jill Marker at the Silk Plant store left her blind, brain-damaged, and disabled.
Smith was released from prison in 2016 after a judge granted him time served - nine years ahead of schedule - because of new factors introduced in the case.
Smith maintained his innocence, and advocacy groups fought to clear his name.
Police said the investigation into Smith’s death is ongoing.
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