Christine Haveford
When he was just 16, Momolu Stewart was sent to prison for murder.
But after serving 23 years in prison, and changing his life whilst in custody, he is now a free man.
Emotional footage showed Stewart leaving DC Central Detention Facility to be greeted by family and friends.
The inmate was championed by reality star Kim Kardashian West who campaigned for his release.
Momolu, who is now 39, was found guilty of murder in 1999.
He had his life sentence reduced to time served plus three days by a Washington DC judge on Friday.
He met Kardashian-West while the mom-of-four was filming a documentary on criminal justice reform earlier this year.
Kim is filming her upcoming documentary, Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project. She met one-on-one with Stewart, who posted a picture of them together on his Instagram.
Kim met Stewart in July when she went to the District Of Columbia Correctional Treatment Facility.
The businesswoman, whose father Robert Kardashian was a lawyer, went to the facility to learn about the Georgetown Prison Scholars program.
She later wrote a letter of support for Stewart to use during his bid for re-sentencing.
He told Oxygen Monday: “I was buried alive. So now, I’ve been resurrected. I’m back and I’m better.’
He captioned the image: “Making power moves from the inside with my sister @kimkardashian. My next move is even bigger, and I’m thinking five steps ahead.”
After their meeting, Kardashian wrote a letter of support for Stewart.
“While incarcerated Momolu, in an attempt to somehow turn his life around, even though the rest of his natural life would seemingly be spent in prison took classes, including Dr. Howard’s Georgetown Prisoner’s Scholars program,” Kardashian wrote, according to Oxygen.
She added: “He helped set up programs to help other prisoners. He took every opportunity to re-imagine his life while staying completely out of trouble.”
When Stewart was six, his mother killed his father and Kardashian wrote in her letter that he ‘turned to the streets for guidance.”
Stewart spent over two decades in prison after being convicted, alongside Kareem McCraney, of the fatal shooting of Mark Rosebure, 23, on New Year’s Day 1997.
He said after his release Monday he would “appreciate the things that was taken away from me when I was such a young man”, adding: “You know, just smell the trees, just live life, and honor life.”
His stepfather Ronald Smith said: “It’s been a beautiful transformation. I’ve seen him come from a troubled, emotional youth to a secure, mature man.:
Stewart has received his GED, and college credits through coursework in Georgetown Prison Scholars program. He has also been dedicated to mentoring others.
Stewart’s case will be featured in Kardashian’s two-hour documentary special, slated to air in Spring 2020.
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